Sefton Council Faces Opposition Over Beach Reconstruction Arguments

The Sefton Council assumption that all efforts to re-shape the beach coastilne are either impossible or illegal is not convincing sceptics. 

The Council has argued that attempts to help re-construct the now overgrown leisure beach would be opposed by government environmental agencies or be futile, but that hasn’t stopped the RSPB (Royal Society for Protecting Birds) working hard to modify the parts of the beach in the north of Southport that they control.

According to Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Cllr. John Pugh, this proves that a responsible body can take effective and environmentally acceptable action.

“Work on channels to the sea and substantial clearing and paths through the marshes are being worked on at Marshside - an extremely environmentally sensitive area. I have no doubt that the RSPB have the permission of Natural England and all relevant bodies for these major works. Sefton’s excuses for inaction with respect to the leisure beach and lifeboat access are looking very thin in comparison and there is no evidence that they have even had serious conversations with environmental agencies recently.”

It may still be the case that Natural England perversely prohibit the Council from doing the sort of things they allow the RSPB at Marshside or the National Trust in Formby to do the beach , but their case for any blanket prohibition would look weak and contestable. There is no excuse though any longer for the Council to bury its head in the sand.”