Coasting into a new era at Fairhaven

The new sea defences at Fairhaven. Picture: VBA/Fylde Council

These latest pictures of the sea defence work at Fairhaven and Granny’s Bay dramatically capture the transformation of the area since the work began at the start of last year.

The £21.8m project, officially known as the Fairhaven to Church Scar Coastal Protection Scheme, is said by contractor VBA, in an update to residents in conjunction with co-ordinator Fylde Council, to be several months ahead of the contract completion date of December 2020, with work hoped to be finished in the summer.

But, as long promoted, public access at Church Scar, Lytham will be available from the end of March and the bulletin says that “best endeavours are being made also to open up the Fairhaven promenade to public footfall at the same time, or as soon as practicable after”.

The new-look sea defences taking shape at Granny's Bay. Picture: VBA/Fylde Council.

From early in the New Year, Fylde Council is planning to take over the main promenades in those areas from to complete a separate seating project, including the introduction of ‘Happy to Chat’ seating areas.

VBA’s compound area at Fairlawn Road has been dismantled, and the lawn area reseeded tie and the contractor says that works to the existing sea defence wall at Church Scar have been completed.

At Fairhaven, says the bulletin, all the stepped units have now been installed to form the new revetment and 90 per cent of the exposed aggregate concrete promenade slabs have been laid.

With work to the inlet outlet structure nearing completion, access handrails down to the beach are being installed while the Stanner Bank car park is being upgraded.

As far as Granny’s Bay is concerned, the bulletin says: “All preparation work for the stepped revetment is now complete and over half of the pre-cast concrete stepped units have been installed.

“A new exposed aggregate concrete promenade will be laid to join up Fairhaven and Church Scar, creating 2.5km of new walkway.

“We will begin the installation of the new wave wall in the New Year

“We are ahead of programme, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2020.”

The scheme, funded by the Environment Agency, is intended to protect more than 2,400 residential properties from coastal erosion and flooding for the next 100 years.