Damage to the top of the beach caused by sand winning vehicles, summer 2002.

The sale of sand from St Annes beach by Fylde Borough Council is one of the most controversial municipal projects in the town's history. From early times, sand, shingle and cobbles were taken from the shore to build roads, houses, and walls. As the town grew, sand was removed from the remaining high dunes to try and alleviate problems with blown, drifting sand on roads and gardens near St Annes seafront. But it was not until the 1970s that the Council started to seriously consider the idea of raising funds by selling sand from the beaches north of St Annes pier. (A similar scheme was already operating south of the estuary at Southport.)

In July 1978 the Council gave the go ahead for 1-year experimental sand winning scheme and laid down strict conditions which the appointed contractor must follow. By the time the proper scheme finally got fully underway in August 1980 a long and bitter battle had been fought between Fylde Borough Council and local protestors. The story was widely reported locally and makes colourful reading even today. The original contractor still operates the scheme.

Defend the Dunes has several concerns about the sand winning at St Annes. There are no concrete sea defences between the sand yacht club and Starr Gate, and the dunes here are the only barrier to coastal flooding.

Our concerns are:

• The contractors are not being properly monitored to ensure they are adhering to the terms of the contract.
  
  
• The vehicle compound has been built at the top of the beach where it is cutting into the dunes.
  
  

  Cut back of the front line of the dunes caused by repeated stockpiling and re-excavation of sand for sand winning purposes, summer 2002.

  
  
• The sand winning access road cuts straight through the dunes from Clifton Drive to the beach. The road acts like a blowout and is gradually getting wider. At high tide the sea regularly laps into the lip, and in gale force conditions there is a real danger that Clifton Drive and the nearby properties will be flooded. (hyperlink to flood risk)
  
  
• The front of the dunes is being disturbed as sand is dumped there by the sand excavators and then scooped up again to be loaded on lorries for ongoing transportation. This prevents any natural development of embryo dunes on the seaward side. We have pointed out to FBC that in the area of the workings at the top of the beach the front of the dunes is set back several metres behind the general line of the dunes. FBC have not taken any effective action to stop this damage or to rectify it. We have now requested that no sand winning activities take place within 10 metres of the front of the dunes.
  
  

  Excavation of sand from close up to the dunes including excavation down below the level of the beach, February 2002.

  
  
• Monitoring of the beach and dunes.
  Sand extraction was to be monitored to ensure no damage was done to the beach or dunes. (The adopted Fylde Borough Council Local Plan included a policy to this effect.) Monitoring of the beach was done by both Fylde and Blackpool Borough Councils, and data provided for Wallingford Hydraulics Research Station to assess. In their latest report on the data Report EX4152 (2000) Wallingford say the Blackpool data are adequate to assess the Blackpool beaches but the Fylde data are inadequate and the situation for the dunes is even worse.

Fylde Borough Council have not monitored the dunes at all. Since spring 2002 Defend the Dunes have submitted several letters identifying practices by the contractors that cause damage to the dunes.