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| Sefton Coast Partnership | Shoreline Management | Nature and Wildlife | Coastal Heritage | Visiting the Coast | Students and Teachers | Coastlines | |
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Winter 1999People's perception of coastal changeArticle by Sally Edmondson and Paul Rooney, Liverpool Hope University CollegeThe Sands of Time project, currently in progress on the Sefton Coast, aims to promote a greater understanding of the importance of natural processes in the conservation of soft coasts amongst local communities and visitors. One aspect of the project has been to investigate people's awareness and understanding of coastal processes and change using a research technique called 'focus groups'. Focus groups in Sefton covered a range of ages, interests and places of residence. They included pensioners, young people (13 - 16), disabled people, parents of young children, golf club members, bird watchers, people who work in the coastal tourism industry and voluntary groups interested in their local environment, and were drawn from communities along the Sefton coast from Bootle to Churchtown. In addition there was a control group of non-Sefton residents. Previous research on nature conservation management of the dune coast indicates a high level of awareness of the importance of the coast and its rare species, but far less understanding of the role of a naturally changing environment in maintaining healthy populations of dune plants and animals. The focus group research looked at much wider issues of coastal change. 'Soft' coasts (those based on sediments such as sand and mud) like Sefton are dynamic; they will adjust to natural or human-induced changes by re-working the sediment, moving it from one place to another in the whole coastal system. Waves, offshore currents and winds are the main agents of this change. When these natural processes change the shape of our coasts, affect our recreational activities or threaten property built on the dunes we may instinctively think that something has gone drastically wrong, instead of looking at the wider or more long-term view of coastal processes and change. Early results of the research indicate a range of perspectives on the coast which appear to be shaped, at least in part, by people's interests, experience and place of residence. Many comments did reflect an awareness of the changeable nature of a sand dune coast and a respect for the processes of nature but this wider perspective was often lost when discussing specific changes at any one part of the coast. Many people have noticed that the tide does not come up as far as it used to, and some that the dunes are getting bigger; these observations come particularly from groups based in the Crosby or the Southport area. Others have noticed coastal retreat and erosion around Formby Point and describe the dunes as a disappearing asset. Concerns were expressed about the development of grass on the foreshore in the Birkdale and Southport area. Rather than being perceived as natural coastal development, it was considered by some to be a reflection of management decisions. No groups welcomed the rapid accretion of this part of the coast and only one individual saw the change as a 'gain' of land which could be balanced against losses elsewhere. This, and many other views related to coastal change, were affected by the perceived recreational quality of the beach. For a recreational beach, people want clean sand, and there was agreement that the best and cleanest beaches were at Formby, and that Ainsdale was cleaner than Southport where finer sediment is now being deposited. When questioned about the effects of sea level rise resulting from climate change, most groups were not immediately concerned, although Formby residents were much more aware of the potential threat to the village. Many contrasting views, perspectives and beliefs arose from the research which will be used to help develop interpretation and inform those involved in shoreline management planning. The next stage in the preparation of proposals for coast defences along the Crosby-Hightown shore is to prepare a Strategic Assessment of the project in relation to a wider coastal area. The initial scoping study will look at the coastline from Crosby to Formby Point to determine the coastal processes and other factors in this zone. Sally Edmondson and Paul Rooney Liverpool Hope University College The Focus Group research was a component of the English Nature funded Sands of Time pilot study.
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