Blackpool Beach Management Scheme

We are losing our beaches.

Unless urgent action is taken, Blackpool’s iconic beaches could be lost forever.

Beach sand levels are lowering, exposing the clay beneath. This poses a serious risk to our coastal defences. The beach provides the first line of defence against coastal erosion and flooding during storms by breaking waves. Lower beaches result in larger waves, increasing the risk of flooding.

Beach lowering also threatens to undermine the existing sea defences which are crucial to protecting homes and businesses during storms.

Sand comes to Blackpool’s beaches from offshore sources, before travelling north to Morecambe Bay (and south to the Ribble Estuary). Blackpool’s beaches are highly dynamic with a constantly shifting series of sand bars and channels. However, a long-term trend of beach lowering has recently been identified. This trend, which has been observed worldwide, is largely a result of climate change.

We're saving our beaches with the £57m Blackpool Beach Management scheme.

The scheme will see rock headlands constructed along the beach from south of South Pier to Cocker Square (just north of North Pier).

17 rock headlands will be constructed on the beach. They will typically be 100 metres long and spaced approximately 150 metres apart, with a combination of straight, cranked and fishtail shapes.

Once completed, the headlands will trap and retain sand on the upper beach. To offset loss of beach sand during extreme storms, there may be a requirement to top up beach levels in the bays within the headlands from time to time with sand.

The scheme is expected to protect more than 6,000 properties, including over 4,000 households and 2,000 business premises, from flooding and coastal erosion, while also safeguarding critical infrastructure.

 How they work

Rock headlands will create areas sheltered from waves and wind whilst deflecting tidal currents. This will trap and retain the natural onshore supply of sand on the upper beach.

The beach will provide a natural line of defence, reducing the risk of our existing coastal defences being undermined, and lowering the risk of coastal erosion and flooding.

Periodic beach recharge may be needed to replace lost sediment and keep beach levels stable. This would involve bringing in sand and gravel from another location and adding it to the beach.

If required, around 10,000 m³ of suitable sand would be sourced from an existing licensed site. The imported material would match the beach’s natural composition to avoid affecting coastal processes or biodiversity

The council and Jacobs UK considered a number of options to address beach lowering. 

1. Do nothing

Doing nothing is not a viable option. Beach levels are lowering. If this continues, the beach will provide less protection from storms. This would increase the risk of damage to the sea defences, leading to coastal erosion and tidal flooding, putting people, properties and critical infrastructure at greater risk.

The loss of beach sand would eventually expose the underlying clay, reducing the quality of the beach for residents and visitors.

2. Do the minimum

Maintaining and repairing the existing sea defences would help extend their lifespan, but it would not address the ongoing loss of beach sand or the exposure of the underlying clay. As a result, the risk of storm damage, coastal erosion and tidal flooding would continue to increase.

3. Toe protection

This option would involve installing rock armour or concrete units at the base of the existing sea defences to help protect them as beach levels fall. While this could reduce the risk of damage to the defences, it would do little to prevent the ongoing loss of beach sand.

The beach would continue to lower, meaning further work may be needed in the future. For this reason, toe protection would not provide a sustainable long-term solution.

4. Beach recharge

This option would involve adding sand to the beach to restore it to levels similar to those seen before 2005. A higher beach would help protect the sea defences and improve the beach for residents and visitors.

However, without structures such as rock groynes to hold the sand in place, much of it would gradually wash away. This would mean that regular replenishment of the beach is needed, making beach recharge alone a less effective and sustainable long-term solution.

Although beach recharge was not selected as a standalone solution, it will be used occasionally following severe storms to replace sand that has been lost and help maintain beach levels.

5. Rock groynes

This option involves constructing 17 rock groynes along the beach to help trap and retain sand. Similar structures have already been installed successfully as part of the Rossall scheme in Wyre, where they have been shown to help retain sand on the beach.

The groynes would help create a higher and more stable beach, which would provide greater protection to the sea defences and reduce the risk of beach lowering. They would also help improve the beach for residents and visitors by retaining more sand on the beach. For these reasons, this option was chosen in combination with occasional beach recharge.

6. Timber groynes

Timber groynes have previously been used in Blackpool but were unsuccessful in retaining beach sand. While timber groynes can help hold sand on some coastlines, they are unlikely to be effective in Blackpool. This is because most of Blackpool’s sand moves on and off the shore, rather than along it (via longshore drift). This means they would not retain enough sand to maintain beach levels.

Past experience in both Blackpool and neighbouring Wyre has shown that timber groynes have not effectively retained sand. In contrast, the larger rock groynes installed in Rossall and Cleveleys are already proving effective at holding sand in place. Timber groynes can also cause localised erosion around the structure, reducing their effectiveness over time.

Timber groynes would require regular inspection, repair and eventual replacement because of the harsh wave conditions along our coastline. This would lead to ongoing maintenance, additional disruption for beach users and repeated environmental impacts. For these reasons, timber groynes were not shortlisted, as they would not provide an effective or sustainable long-term solution.

7. Offshore breakwaters

This option would involve constructing rock breakwaters offshore, parallel to the coastline. These structures can reduce wave energy and help retain beach material in some locations.

However, along Blackpool's coastline they would block the natural movement of sand from offshore onto the beach. This natural supply helps maintain beach levels, so preventing it could make beach lowering worse over time. For this reason, offshore breakwaters were not considered a viable option.

8. Sand engine

A sand engine involves placing a very large volume of sand on the beach and allowing natural coastal processes to gradually spread it along the coastline.

This option was investigated but was not considered viable for Blackpool. The coastline already receives a significant natural supply of sand from offshore. The main challenge is retaining that sand on the beach rather than adding more. A sand engine would not solve this problem because, without structures such as rock groynes to hold the sand in place, much of it would wash away.

A sand engine would also be costly to deliver and could have significant environmental impacts.

9. Beach drainage

Beach drainage involves lowering the water level beneath the beach to help reduce erosion and keep the sand more stable.

This option was investigated but was not shortlisted because it has not yet been proven to be effective in the UK. It would provide limited benefits during storms, when beach erosion is most severe, and would require ongoing maintenance.

After careful consideration, rock groynes combined with occasional beach recharge were considered the most effective, viable and environmentally sustainable solution.

Beaches for the future.

The scheme will secure Blackpool’s future, safeguard our environment, protect homes and businesses and ensure Blackpool remains the UK’s top seaside destination.

Tourism

Blackpool’s beach is central to the town’s identity, heritage, and appeal. In the past year alone, 21.5 million visitors came to enjoy its seaside charm, golden sands, vibrant promenade, and world-class events.

But once the beach is lost, it’s gone for good. This would seriously harm Blackpool’s reputation as a tourist destination and have a damaging impact on local businesses, the economy, and jobs.

The Blackpool Beach Management scheme is designed to protect and preserve the beach, ensuring it remains a vital part of the town’s tourism offer, so future generations can continue to enjoy everything Blackpool has to offer.

Leisure and community

The beach and promenade are important outdoor spaces for recreation, wellbeing fitness and community events. Saving the beach will ensure this space can be used by the community for generations to come.

Flood prevention

Sea levels are rising due to climate change. This puts Blackpool, as a low-lying coastal town, in a particularly vulnerable position. Our risk of severe flooding during storms is increasing, and we are losing space on our beach due to coastal squeeze.

The current sea defences, opened in 2011, have so far significantly reduced the risk of flooding. Despite this, the rising seas and the lowered beach levels will likely lead to more instances of flooding with increasingly devastating consequences.

The headlands will retain upper beach levels and help divert tidal currents, reducing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding, protecting homes, businesses and transport links.

Nature and climate

The rock headlands provide a fantastic opportunity for habitat creation. Similar schemes in other areas have seen an increase in biodiversity, with the rocks providing great habitats for marine life including seaweed, barnacles and small crustaceans.

There is also the potential for the rocks to act as roosting areas for birds during high tide.

• Blackpool Council appointed Jacobs to identify the most effective solution for managing coastal erosion and flood risk, and to develop the headland designs ready for construction
• The works are anticipated to start spring 2026 and are expected to be completed during spring 2029
• Normal working hours will be Monday to Friday between 7.00am and 7.00pm
• Rock deliveries by sea will vary and be dependent on tide times
• A project liaison will be in place to support residents and businesses with any concerns or issues
• Construction compounds will be established south of South Pier, and south of Central Pier. Some plant machinery may be temporarily on other areas of the Promenade

• Autumn 2026 - Off-site project start, rock order placed, quarrying commences
• Winter 2026 to Spring 2027 - Preconstruction including site compounds established
• Spring 2027 to Winter 2028 - Construction

Please note: This timeline is subject to change.

Certain sections of the beach will be temporarily closed at specific times to allow construction works to take place safely. Details of these closures, including times, dates, and locations, will be shared on the council’s website and social media channels.

At no point will the entire stretch of beach, from just south of South Pier to Cocker Square north of North Pier, be closed. The majority of the beach will remain open for the public to enjoy throughout the works.

During certain busy events (e.g. Illuminations Switch On, Blackpool Air Show) no works will take place.

Residents and visitors may be interested about the ongoing works and wish to observe them. We welcome public interest and will do our best to ensure that anyone who chooses to watch can do so safely.

Options for delivering the rock are still being considered, including by road or by sea.

Plant machinery and other materials will need to be delivered by road. The project team are currently assessing the possible routes.

Four site compounds are currently proposed to support the scheme

• Compound 1 - west of Metropole hotel
• Compound 2 - Chapel Street
• Compound 3 - south of Central Pier
• Compound 4 - south of South Pier

These compounds will allow for the storage of materials, plant, machinery, site offices and welfare facilities.

To enable noise dampening and dust reduction, they will be surrounded by solid timber hoarding.

The hoardings will be used by Blackpool Tourism Limited for advertisement. Small sections will feature information about the scheme, along with site safety information.

Our consultation survey has closed.

All responses have been considered before submitting the planning application.

If you have any questions, email BBM@blackpool.gov.uk

A planning application for the scheme, accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Environmental Statement, has been submitted.

You can view the application on the planning portal using the reference number 26/0084.

A decision on the application was deferred to a future date by the council's planning committee on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

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