Coastal Dunes

Coastal Dunes Character Areas 19a   Fylde Coast Dunes

Key Environmental Features

      Hummocky landform provides sheltered hollows and microclimatic zones within its core.

      Windswept grassland and bare sand which conveys a sense of exposure to coastal elements and allows unobscured views out to sea.

      Valuable habitats, including dune slacks, dune heath, shingle and sandy shingle, all of which are recognised as a priority for conservation in the UK Biodiversity Plan.

      Potential archaeological sites in areas where evidence of human activity is buried beneath shifting dunes and in the inter-tidal area

      St Annes Dunes are a remnant of a largely natural landscape type rare in terms of the limited extent of human modification

Local Forces for Change and their Landscape Implications

      Climate change could bring sea level rises and storm surges which might change the rate of sediment input to dunes and even the location of sand dunes along the coast. Pressures for hard sea defence works to combat this risk may themselves alter the dynamics of sand movement.

      Pressures for the construction of services such as sewers, pipelines etc. which may destroy small relict areas of valuable dune habitat and further fragment the small remaining tracts of dune.

      Recreation pressures are an ongoing force for change in this confined area of dunes. The key problem is erosion by trampling. which may lead to the degradation of natural grass swards and the destabilisation of the dunes. Litter is also a visual eyesore.

      Sand extraction elsewhere on the coast could potentially lead to loss of dune habitat, although studies have shown that the sand is accreting in this area so rapidly that sand extraction at current rates would not have a significant impact.

      Lowered water table due to development and increased water abstraction affecting dune slack and pools.

Landscape Strategy for the Coastal Dunes

Strategy	Recommendations
Conserve dune systems	avoid further fragmentation by development including golf courses        maintain the role of natural coastal processes in coastal defence        monitor the area of sand dunes and rates of accretion/erosion of sand especially in relation to storms, sand extraction and the impact of constructed defence schemes elsewhere on the coast
Conserve natural sand dune vegetation	restrict vehicular access        minimise the potential for erosion by trampling, grazing or mowing        restrict invasion by sea buckthorn, gorse, birch and pine        manage the dune habitats to meet biodiversity objectives
Enhance opportunities for informal recreation	design visitor facilities to minimise landscape impacts and ensure they are sited well inland from sensitive dune systems        provide boardwalks to give access to the dunes without risking damage by erosion        monitor and control levels of litter and fly-tipping
Restore natural dune grasses in areas where they have become degraded	fence off areas suitable for restoration of sand dune vegetation so that there is minimal risk of trampling while the grasses become established        restore/create dune slack habitat

Potential Local Indicators for Monitoring Landscape Change on the Coastal Dunes