Management of the beach needs to be carried out in sympathy with the needs of the dunes if the dunes are not to be exposed to further damage. We are continually in contact with the FBC Cleansing Department and will strive to ensure that the joint FBC/BBC management plan will take all our concerns about the beach into account.

Our beaches are a key tourist attraction and the Council are naturally striving to make them as clean and safe as possible. But it is important that there is a general policy to reduce human pressures on the beaches, particularly at the top close to the dunes, to allow the natural processes of dune regeneration to take place.

Some boroughs do no mechanical beach cleaning only hand picking. Defend the Dunes recommend that all forms of mechanical cleansing should be avoided at the top of the beach to avoid damage and to allow the dunes to grow out onto the beach. Therefore only hand picking of litter is acceptable here.

Fylde Borough Council now accept our recommendation that a 10 metre wide strip close to the dunes is an acceptable amount to leave to allow the natural dune growth processes.