Structures deployed to help restore Hest Bank’s saltmarsh
A project to help slow down the effects of climate change by restoring the saltmarsh at Hest Bank has seen a series of trial structures being installed.
Working on the saltmarsh
Lancaster City Council and Morecambe Bay Partnership teamed up with residents to design, build and deploy the structures to as part of the DEFRA funded Our Future Coast Project.
The aim is to slow wave energy and trap sediment to help create the ideal conditions for saltmarsh plants to grow. Saltmarsh is a nationally important habitat and plays a vital role in reducing coastal flood risk.
Councillor Paul Stubbins, cabinet member with responsibility for climate action, said: “Our coastal communities are at the forefront of the fight against climate change and we need to take action to ensure we reduce the impact on them from flooding and coastal erosion.
“Over the last year the team has shown a real passion for getting involved in this work and it is wonderful to see the first structures being deployed at Hest Bank. We look forward to monitoring their progress over coming months.”
The structures were designed with the Hest Bank community, Siskin Asset Management and Lancaster University’s Coastal Nature Lab Radar, photographs and mini-buoy data loggers will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the structures over the Autumn and Winter.
Findings from the trial will inform future deployments in the local area. The project is funded by Defra as part of the £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme which is managed by the Environment Agency to develop and test new approaches to resilience tailored to local communities.
To find out more, please visit: www.lancaster.gov.uk/OFC.
Last updated: 03 October 2024