A Lancashire resident has caused deliberate damage to sand dunes next to his home, despite written and verbal advice from a sand dunes officer, Lancashire Wildlife Trust has discovered.
The damage occurred when mechanical diggers were used by the resident’s contractors to re-shape part of the dunes near Bentinck Road on North Promenade. The height of the dune was greatly reduced, leaving it vulnerable to weather damage.
The dunes are of countywide importance for their plant communities and other wildlife. Once removed, these plant communities can take a long time to re-establish, leaving the sand in an unstable state. Even small changes in the plant cover and shape of the dunes can lead to ‘knock on effects’ that are hard to predict. Some effects could be damaging on a wider scale, with increased wind-blown sand, dune erosion and property damage, due to flooding.
Tim Mitcham, Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s head of conservation, said: "We are very disappointed this work has been undertaken against written advice. It puts further pressure on a very fragile section of dune.
"Residents have taken great steps over recent months to value the dunes as a natural asset. The council-backed Fylde Sand Dunes project has worked hard to increase understanding of how dunes benefit us all. Rising sea levels are a serious threat to low-lying Lytham St.Annes. The dune system is a natural defence against climate change and sea level rise."
A spokesperson for Fylde Borough Council said: “We have been consulting widely with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and local residents about the protection and regeneration of the sand dunes for which the Fylde Coast is famous. We have plans which will take years to implement but in the long run they will benefit both the sea defenses of the Borough and the wildlife we are lucky enough to have living in the dunes.
We need to make sure residents are aware that anything they do can have a very detrimental effect on the delicate system of dunes and they should always consult with us before they alter them in any way.”
Lancashire Wildlife Trust would strongly urge residents to consult the Borough Council if they are considering any sort of work on their dunes and to use the specialist advice of the sand dunes officer, which is freely available for the benefit of all residents.