Coastal Protection
This section describes responsibility for the protection of
land and property from coastal erosion or encroachment by the
sea.
Your responsibility?
Owners and occupiers of coastal land owe a duty of care at
common law to take reasonable steps to prevent a risk of damage to
neighbouring property due to the collapse of their own land through
coastal erosion.
What is the Council’s role in Coastal Protection?
Together with other landowners along the 60km of coastline in
South Lakeland our primary role is one of the monitoring and
maintaining any existing sea defence structures for which we have a
responsibility.
South Lakeland District Council and the partners of the
Morecambe Bay Shoreline Management Plan Partnership documented the
current policies for coastal management in the 1999 Morecambe Bay
Shoreline Management Plan.
By controlling the actions of landowners who intend to carry
out coastal works we are able to ensure that these policies are
adhered to for the benefit of the area as a whole.
Thirdly, we are tasked with contributing to the development of
a revised coastal management framework for the region, which will
set out the future policies relating to the management of the
coastline and the maintenance of existing coastal structures. A
number of studies will be undertaken of the coastline during the
next few years, which will provide the foundations of new
strategies.
Can I get more detailed information?
If you need further advice concerning the responsibility for
coastal assets and their maintenance or wish to see a copy of the
current Shoreline Management Plan please contact the
Environmental
Health Department on 0845 050 4434 who will be able to assist
you further.