Coastal and estuarine

The coastal expanse of Lancashire's strategy area spans from Silverdale to Birkdale Sands. This large expanse of coastline has several contributing main estuaries of the Ribble, Wyre, Lune, Keer, Kent and Leven with a myriad of smaller channels and outlets that feed into the coastline[i]. There are extensive areas of river, coastal and estuary SSSIs which predominantly are in favourable condition.

Sand dunes are multiple systems that are vulnerable to increased disturbance and invasive plant species, as well as weather and sea conditions[ii]. Over the past 150 years, more than 80% of the sand dunes in Lancashire have been lost[iii]. 90% of Lancashire's remaining sand dunes are in Fylde. The presence of three large golf courses on Lancashire's dune land has saved extensive areas of semi-natural vegetation, including the largest remaining areas of dune heath, from built development.[iv] However, without sensitive management of routine golf course operations such as drainage, irrigation, tree-planting, mowing, fertilising and re-seeding then their biodiversity value is at risk.

Coastal squeeze of inter-tidal habitats is an increasing pressure on biodiversity in Lancashire.

Table 6: Pressures and opportunities for recovery (coastal and estuarine habitats)

Pressures Example habitats affected Broad species assemblages affected (including example species[1]) Example opportunities identified
  • Climate change
  • Droughtand flooding
  • Landand sea management detrimental to biodiversity
  • Habitat loss
  • Developmentand physical modification
  • Pollution, sediment deposition and nutrient enrichment
  • Recreational impacts

 

Brackish reedbeds

Coastal grasslands

Coastal floodplain grazing marsh

Coastal hinterland (functionally linked farmland)

Coastal saltmarsh

Coastal sand dunes

Coastal vegetated shingle

Coastal woodlands

Estuaries

Lowland rivers and watercourses

Maritime cliffs

Mudflats

Non-saline lagoons

Saline lagoons

Inter-tidal and sub-tidal cobbleand boulder skears

Open mosaic on previously developed coastal land

 

 

Estuaries

14 shortlisted species including -

Birds:

  • Ringed plover
  • Lapwing

Fish:

  • Eel
  • Lesser sand eel
  • River lamprey

 

Dune slacks (including dune slacks/sand dune systems and coastal ditches and canals)

10 shortlisted species including -

Invertebrates:

  • Sand dart moth
  • tiger crane-fly

Amphibians:

  • Common toad

Plants:

  • Tubular water dropwort
  • Early sand-grass

 

Sand dunes (including beach and sand dunes associated with woodland, lowland heath and shingle)

32 shortlisted species including -

Reptiles:

  • Sand lizard
  • Adder

Invertebrates:

  • White Colon moth
  • Black-headed leafcutter bee
  • Sand runner spider.

Plants:

  • Dune helleborine
  • Seaside centaury
  • Creeping willow

Saltmarsh

(including transitional brackish marsh and floodplain grazing marsh

19 shortlisted species including -

Birds:

  • Redshank
  • Black-tailed godwit
  • Pintail

Invertebrates:

  • Saltern neb moth
  • Belted beauty moth

Plants:

  • Sea milkwort
  • Divided sedge

 

Coastal rocky / maritime cliffs

4 shortlisted species including -

Plants:

  • Common Scurvy Grass
  • Sea spleenwort (a fern)

 

Coastal grasslands

9 shortlisted species including -

Invertebrates:

  • White-dusted owlet moth
  • Vernal Mining bee

Plants:

  • Field gentian
  • Hoary Cinquefoil

Restore saltmarsh through rewetting interventions, changes to grazing management and managed realignment.

Managed realignment, for tidal exchange.

Juvenile fish and spawning habitat restoration in the middle and upper estuaries of the Lancashire and Amounderness Plain, Morecambe Coastand Lune Estuary, and Morecambe Bay Limestones.

Promotion of a step change to agricultural management practices.

Wetland and flood storage habitat creation in West Lancashire, Morecambe Coastand Lune Estuary and Lancashireand Amounderness Plain to improve the current water management regime.

Alleviate recreational impacts through public engagement for example, through raising awareness and Community wildlife projects and improvements to Suitable Alternative Natural Green Spaces

 

 

Table 7: Coastal and estuarine priorities, potential measures, and associated benefits

Priorities Measures Shortlist species benefited [2] Benefits
C1. Coastal habitats connected with wider ecosystems particularly transitional habitats.

C1.1 - Create and restore coastal habitats (such as sand dunes, dune slacks and saltmarshes) to reverse fragmentation.

Birds:

  • Ringed plover
  • Lapwing
  • Redshank
  • Black-tailed godwit
  • Pintail
  • Ruff

Reptiles:

  • Sand lizard

Fish:

  • Eel
  • Lesser sand eel
  • Smelt
  • Atlantic salmon
  • Brown trout

Invertebrates:

  • Belted beauty moth
  • Saltern neb moth
  • Sand dart moth
  • White Colon moth
  • Black-headed leafcutter bee
  • Sand runner spider

Plants:

  • Tubular water dropwort
  • Early sand-grass
  • Dune helleborine
  • Seaside centaury
  • Creeping willow
  • Divided sedge

National objectives and targets:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16

Wider benefits:

  • Natural resources quality,
  • Reduction in flood risk for coastal communities,
  • Natural processes regulation,
  • Climate resilience,
  • Local economy and green jobs,
  • Ensure resilient and healthy populations of coastal species.
  • Improve migration routes.
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Social, cultural, and educational

Other linked LNRS Priorities:

AW1, AW2, AW3, AW4, C2, C3, G3, P1, P2, P3

 

 

C1.2 - Remove or create pathways through barriers such as small weirs, road culverts and other riverbed modifications, to improve connectivity for species dispersal by focussing on barriers within main rivers at, or close to the tidal limit.

C1.3 - Create and enhance habitat corridors to support species migration including connectivity between coastal and freshwater ecosystems e.g., salt marsh, estuaries, intertidal pools, floodplain grazing marsh.
C2. Naturally functioning coastal systems with dynamic processes forming embryonic and transitional habitats.

C2.1 - Restore natural processes in coastal waters, estuaries, dune slacks, sand dunes and salt marsh habitats for example by:

  • Redesigning and realigning coastal flood defences
  • Creating naturally functioning saltmarsh creek networks,
  • Restoring natural hydrology in dune slacks,
  • Promote the natural growth of sand dunes,
  • Rewetting of desiccated coastal wetlands and grasslands.

Amphibians:

  • Potential for future natterjack toad re-introductions
  • Common toad

 

Fish (coastal waters and estuaries are a key habitat for juvenile and larvae phase fish):

  • Eel
  • Lesser sand eel
  • Smelt
  • Atlantic salmon
  • Brown trout
  • Cod
  • Plaice

 

Reptiles:

Sand lizard

National objectives and targets:

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14

Wider benefits:

  • natural resources,
  • health and wellbeing
  • climate regulation,
  • local economy and green jobs,
  • reduction in flood risk to coastal communities,
  • restoration of coastal habitat dynamism,
  • safeguarding natural coastal processes,
  • social, cultural and educational

Other linked LNRS Priorities:

AW1, AW2, AW3, AW4, C1, C3, P1, P2, P3, U1, U4

C2.2 - Restore, create and actively manage dune slacks for example through scrape creation, management of frontal woodlands and scrub control.

C2.3 - Allow natural formation of embryonic habitats such as embryonic dunes, salt marshes (including strand line and pioneer vegetation) and dune slacks.

C2.4 – Manage and enhance sand dune habitats for example through sand patching and vegetation management to maintain a structurally varied habitat.
C3. Expanded, enhanced and preserved coastal and estuarine habitat important to Lancashire.

C3.1 - Create undisturbed coastal high tide roost sites for waders and coastal lagoons and islands for nesting sites.

Birds:

  • Ringed plover
  • Lapwing
  • Redshank
  • Black-tailed godwit
  • Arctic tern
  • Common tern

Reptiles:

  • Sand lizard

Invertebrates:

  • Belted beauty (moth)
  • Dark green fritillary butterfly
  • Small heath

Fish (particularly riffle habitats):

  • Atlantic salmon
  • Smelt
  • Lamprey species

Plants:

  • Green-flowered helleborine

National objectives and targets:

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16

Wider benefits:

  • natural resources,
  • natural processes regulation,
  • reduction in flood risk to coastal communities,
  • climate regulation,

Other linked LNRS Priorities:

AW1, AW2, AW3, AW4, C1 C2, G1, G2, G3, P2, P3, U1, U4

C3.2 - Creation of estuarine, and lower river (between tidal limit and 1-2 miles upstream) riffle habitats to support key fish species for example by:

  • Installing natural features such as large wood or large rocks within the watercourse to alter flow and facilitate sediments to be deposited in desired areas.

C3.3 - Creation and restoration of naturally functioning saltmarsh habitat.

C3.4 - Creation of coastal habitats, including brackish reedbeds, coastal grasslands and wetlands within their former extent for example by reconnecting low-lying reclaimed and frequently flooded agricultural land to coastal and transitional habitats.

[1] For the full list of the 534 species that have been identified as the most threatened or locally significant to prioritise for recovery action see the Evidence and Technical Information document – Appendix Ten

[2] For the full list of the 534 species that have been identified as the most threatened or locally significant to prioritise for recovery action see the Evidence and Technical Information document – Appendix Ten

[i] Coastand Estuaries Thematic Habitat Group Final report, August 2024.

[ii] Adopted Fylde Local Plan to 2032, incorporating Partial Review

[iii] Lancashire Wildlife Trust, 2023. Fylde Sand Dunes Project

[iv] Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan 2001.