Erosion at Tynemouth beach is not a 'priority'

Mar 30 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THE Government has ruled out providing help to tackle the problem of shifting sands at Tynemouth.

North Tyneside Council’s cabinet will be told tomorrow of the toll which winter winds and high tides have taken on the Blue Flag Longsands beach and dunes.

The erosion has left a sheer face to part of the dunes system which has led to the closure of some public access points.

The council has approached the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in an effort to secure funding to improve coastal protection for the Longsands.

But Defra has said there is a limited budget available nationally to tackle coastal erosion, and the Environment Agency prioritises funding on a national basis to address the highest risk areas.

“The sand loss you have described at Tynemouth would not meet the priority criteria for funding,” Defra told the council.

The sand dunes overlooking Longsands South Beach are an important coastal habitat that also serve as a natural sea defence.

The dunes have recently been planted with more coastal grasses to bind them while closely-spaced gorse shrubs act as a protective barrier along the inland edge.