Massive investment to replace sand on Blackpool's beaches

The funding has been awarded by the Environment Agency for two large scale coastal defence projects.

It includes the previously revealed figure of £61m for the Little Bispham to Bispham Coast Protection Scheme, and the Gynn Square to Cocker Square Coast Protection Scheme.

But it has now been revealed £57m has been allocated to the resort for the Blackpool Central Area Beach Nourishment Scheme.

The work was initially only allocated £12m, but is now expected to be a significantly bigger engineering project.

It is now 10 years since the Blackpool Coast Protection Strategy 2013 identified beach nourishment would be required to protect the sea defences between Cocker Street Station and South Pier.

Initially the Environment Agency provided £342,000 of funding for consultation to assess the options for the coast defence requirements in this area.

A beach nourishment programme is proposed which would see sand replaced which has been washed away from the base of the stepped sea defences, leaving the foundations exposed to erosion.

The investment in sea defences has been revealed in a report to the council’s executive ahead of appointing contractors to carry out the work between now and 2027.

It is proposed as well as continuing to use contractors recommended by the Environment Agency, the search is widened to include other approved contractors due to the scale of the investment.

A council report says: “Following the delivery of the outline business case in line with the Blackpool Coastal Strategy, Blackpool Council has been allocated £61m, which is significantly more than was originally profiled for the coast protection schemes between Little Bispham and Bispham and GynnSquare to Cocker Square.

“Blackpool Council has also now been awarded additional grant funding of £57m for coast protection works in the central area of Blackpool, the costs of this scheme was originally profiled at £12m in the Blackpool Coastal Strategy, and has therefore significantly increased.

“In light of the scale and size of the coastal defence schemes to be delivered, it is appropriate for the council to have flexibility in terms of the use of all appropriate delivery frameworks available in order to ensure value for money.”