Fylde Sand Dunes Management Action Plan The Sand Dune Management Action Plan has been created to establish best practice to protect and enhance the dunes on the Fylde Coast. The full Action Plan is over 100 pages and therefore this document provides a summary of the main actions within the plan. The main aims for management of the Fylde Sand Dunes are to:

• enhance the nature conservation interest of the coastal habitats,

• improve the efficiency of the dunes and saltmarsh as soft sea-defence • enhance public appreciation and enjoyment of the dunes.

Proposed management works to achieve these aims will include: enabling natural seaward accretion of the dunes by removing the current causes of man-induced erosion both to increase the area of wildlife habitat and to improve the efficiency of flood defence, together with grassland and scrub management works to enhance the nature conservation value of the existing dunes in conjunction with path creation and information signage. Education and interpretation materials will be produced to help promote the sand dunes and to publicity the wealth of biodiversity which lives there. The Fylde Coast Sand Dunes There are 80ha of sand dune habitat between Squire’s Gate and Lytham Green however this is a small and narrow fragment of the original dune habitat which was present 150 years ago before the development of St. Annes in 1875. Dispute these great losses the dunes are still of great importance as a unique wildlife habitat.

Why are Sand Dunes Important? Sand dune is a rare habitat in Britain today, with less than 10,000 ha remaining in England. The majority of plants which live on sand dunes are uniquely adapted to surviving in sandy conditions and as a result are unable to be found elsewhere in the country. This mixture of specialised plants and sand creates a unique ecosystem with many national and internationally rare plants and animals. Over 300 species of vascular plant have been recorded within the Fylde Dunes; over 50 of which are nationally or regionally notable and 36 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species, which the government is committed to conserving.

The Fylde Sand Dunes start at Squires Gate © David Dunlop Summer flowering plants on the Local Nature Reserve

© Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Sand dunes are included in Annex 1 of EC Habitats Directive and listed as a Priority Habitat for Conservation in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). The inland area of fixed dunes opposite Thursby Nursing Home was designated in 1968 as the first Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in Lancashire and since then this area and others have been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the majority of remaining dune habitat is classified as Biological Heritage Site (BHS) to indicate it’s biodiversity importance within the county. Why Do We Have Sand Dunes? Sand dunes form where:- • there is a supply of sand over a wide foreshore which has sufficient time to dry between tidal inundation, • a backshore area of low relief • predominant onshore winds for at least part of the year. Along the Fylde Coast, conditions are currently favourable for natural sand dune accretion at Starr Hills and St Anne's. This is in contrast to most British dunes systems which are either eroding due to loss of sediment and rising sea-levels, or are only accreting because sediment is being eroded from another nearby part of the coast.

Isle of Man Cabbage © Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Dune Helleborine © Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Common Lizard © Ray Lynch

Grayling Butterfly © Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Waves deposit sand

Sediment dries at low tide

Obstacles trap sand as

the wind slows down

Sediment is transported

across the beach Large volume of sand

deposited by sea

Large tidal

range

‘Embryo’ dunes form

Flood Defence Dune systems which have the greatest flood-defence value are both wide and high. The current dune system has been greatly reduced by built developments and erosional pressures, leaving a system which may be vulnerable to increased storm events and sea level rises which are predicted as a result of climate change as well reduced ability to adapt to coastal change dynamics.

Issues Considered within the Fylde Dune Management Action Plan

Habitat Management Issues

Habitat Improvements In order to encourage the unique wildflowers it may be necessary to artificially create specific environmental conditions through practices such as mowing and creating wet areas. Mowing will enable more space for a diversity of plants to flourish and wet slacks will be created to provide habitat for frogs, toads and other wetland species which are found on the dunes. Recommended Action: a rotation of autumn mowing in some areas Recommended Action: creation of wet areas called slacks Spread of Non-native Scrub and Garden Plants Some scattered scrub on the dunes is beneficial for breeding or resting migrant birds however, certain species can be highly invasive and can easily cover large areas of ground at the expense of species-rich grassland. The most problematic species on the Fylde Coast are sea buckthorn, white poplar and Japanese Rose, which will need to be controlled in areas in which they threaten native flora. Amongst the dunes there are many varieties of garden flowers which have established, the majority of these appear to have little impact on the wildlife interest and whilst these species are tolerated, monitoring will be required to ensure that they do not spread at the expense of the natural dune vegetation. Recommended Action: control invasive non-native plant species such as Sea Buckthorn, Japanese Rose and White Poplar and monitor the extent of non-native garden plants

A wider dune system would give better protection against storm surges © David Dunlop

Vegetation in front of the dunes encourages new dunes to form and reduces the wave’s energy © Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Coastal Dynamics

Natural Dynamics of the Coastal System Coastal systems are highly dynamic, dictated by the power of the sea and the Fylde Coast is also subject to the changing conditions of the Ribble estuary. It is important to take advantage of the present accreting system to broaden the area of coastal vegetation as these conditions may change and the coast starts to retreat. Climate Change Predicted climate change is likely to impact coastlines with anticipated rises in sea level and an increase in the frequency of storms. Figures published in the Fylde Borough Strategic Flood Risk Assessment suggest that an allowance should be made for a sea-level rise of 1m over the next 100 years in order to accommodate likely climate change. Recommended Action: Encourage seaward accretion of the dunes to increase the flood defence value of the dunes

Saltmarsh Accretion Saltmarsh grasses are accreting in the beach from Fairhaven towards St. Annes, the saltmarsh grasses are colonizing as a result in changing sediments and tides in connection with large scale estuarine processes. Any attempt to remove the grass will do little to stop more muddy sediments in the long-term. The saltmarsh of the adjacent Ribble Estuary is of international importance for its numbers and diversity of waterfowl and the accreting saltmarsh on the Fylde Coast could potentially become just as important to these birds. Saltmarsh can also play an important role in the Coast's sea-defence, along with the sand dune habitats, by absorbing much of the sea's wave action before it reaches the land. Recommended Action: Allow accretion of saltmarsh vegetation to the south and east of St

Anne's Beach, without undue disturbance

White Poplar can spread rapidly, reducing the plant diversity as very little is able to grow under the thick canopy. © Graeme Skelcher, Ecological Consultant

Sea Buckthorn is easily recognised by it’s bright berries and sharp thorns © Lyn Clifton

Dune Erosion Erosion of Dunes by Human Activity Too much erosion caused by human activity can destroy sensitive dune grasses which are vital to dune formation, ecology and sea defence properties. Erosion along the beach front at the toe of the dunes is reducing natural accretion of pioneer and foreshore vegetation which leads to further dune development. Within the established dunes, a little pedestrian disturbance is actually quite beneficial in creating areas of bare sand which can then be colonised by specialist plants and insects. However, the dune area opposite Pontins has lost a significant amount of vegetation which has led to large areas of bare sand unsuitable for wildlife. Recommended action: place a line of bollards in front of the dunes to reduce erosion pressures

Recommended action: Improve pathways, add signage and marker points to guide people and create of boardwalk routes where necessary

Blow-outs Blow-outs occur within the mobile dunes, where sand is scoured out to create a hollow. These are natural features and should not automatically be filled in. Where particular problems exist, most notably where blow-outs are prevented from naturally re-vegetating by persistent man-induced erosion, then blow-outs may require temporary fencing to remove the causes of erosion, while planting of marram could be undertaken to stabilise the area. Recommended action: where need areas should be temporary fenced and marram grass should be planted.

Other issues

Built Developments within the Dunes As well as causing direct loss of habitat, development within the dunes has resulted in a fragmented dune system which has little space to move and behave as a natural dune system would. Highly mobile dunes are adjacent to properties cause problems of wind-blown sand. Recommended action: Apply existing Council policy rigorously to ensure that there will be no new development within existing areas of sand dune or natural coastal habitat, no adverse impact to sand dune or natural coastal habitat caused by new development adjacent to the dunes.

A line of bollards on the Sefton Coast has reduced erosion to the foreshore and encouraged seaward accretion of the dunes © Anne Heslop

Marker posts can encourage people to stick to pathways © John Lamb

Recommended Action: seaward accretion of the dunes will reduce windblown sand issues

Recommended Action: where necessary brushwood fencing will be used to trap sand in conjunction with planting dune marram grass. Removal of sand against infrastructure Accumulations of sand blown in from the beach form adjacent to the brick wall which separates North Beach car park and adjacent sea-front houses from the beach. The dunes here are highly mobile and are naturally moving backwards into the properties and the car park behind. In order to reduce the volume of sand, it may be necessary to remove the buildup against the wall. Recommended Action: to liaise with the residents of Summerfields and to remove accumulations against the wall Management of Fixed Dune Grassland as Amenity Grassland At present an area of sand dune to the South West of Fairhaven Road Car Park is being maintained as an amenity grassland through regularly mowing. As Sand Dune habitats are rare and only able to persist under certain coastal conditions it would be desirable to allow dune plants and grasses to establish. Recommended Action: allow dune plants to establish through a less frequent mowing regime Agricultural Weeds Common Ragwort is a frequent component of semi-fixed and fixed dune grasslands and is also the primary larval foodplant for the resident UK BAP Priority species the cinnabar moth as well as providing an excellent source of nectar for many invertebrate species. Ragwort can be particularly dangerous to livestock however as there is no agricultural or grazing land near to the Fylde Dunes there no legal obligation to control it. Recommended Action: allow ragwort to persist on dune habitats Education and Interpretation Sand dune systems and ecology can be quite complex and often not fully understood by visitors and the local community. In order to value our dunes as both a rare habitat and an important sea defence education and interpretation needs to be established. Recommended Action: Seek to establish a dedicated education centre with a fully developed schools education programme and a programme of events for local people and visitors to the area, based upon understanding and appreciation of the coastal habitats Recommended Action: provide interpretative material such as leaflets, strategically placed information boards Recommended Action: Student projects which will enhance our understanding of the coastal habitats should be encouraged whenever opportunities arise

The ragwort plant is the primary food source of the Cinnabar moth caterpillar ©Paul Ancell