New Sea Front at Fairhaven Lake

The new seafront at Fairhaven Lake reopened in 2020. It’s an amazing new open public space, perfect for a walk and enjoying the beach!

It’s been strengthened with £22m of new revetments. All the seafront is new, from Church Scar, through Granny’s Bay to the Spitfire. Take a look in this page at the work at the new sea front at Fairhaven Lake.

Look at the new sea front at Fairhaven Lake!

What an amazing public open space this construction work has created!

The new stepped revetment surrounds the lake, built over the top of the 1890’s sea wall. It will protect the lake and surrounding area, reducing the risk of erosion and flooding for the next 100 years.

Of course the new sea wall serves a practical reason and it’s a flood defence. But a very welcome spin-off is the amazing seafront walk – it’s a tourist attraction in its own right! The work has created a stunning piece of public realm, and regenerated the area.

Visit Fylde Coast contributor Sue Massey took these photos in July 2020, when the brand-new works were newly opened.

In August 2020 we went along to take a look, just after the project had opened. We filmed the new sea front in three parts. Here’s the walk around the seafront at Fairhaven Lake –

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There’s a stepped precast concrete revetment around the outer edge of Fairhaven Lake, from the Spitfire memorial, through Granny’s Bay to Church Scar. There, the new sea wall continues as a smooth precast concrete revetment.

See all of these following features in much more detail in the video, above.

Free On-Street Parking

There’s free on-street parking along all of the Inner Promenade at the seafront around here. The free spaces enable you to enjoy all that the seafront has to offer. Just be aware that, on busy hot days, the popular spots near to the facilities fill up early in the day!

Stanner Bank Car Park

If you’re heading to the seafront at Granny’s Bay or around the outer edge of Fairhaven Lake, you can also park at Stanner Bank car park.

There’s a convenient ice cream kiosk at the entrance. Just down the slope against the Lake is a block of Danfo public toilets.

Easy access to the beach

The stepped revetments around the outer edge of Fairhaven Lake are a brilliant sea defence. At high tide you can literally watch the energy of the waves being dissipated as they climb the steps.

For the rest of us, the steps also provide brilliant access to the beach. They don’t have the same riser as a normal staircase so it can be a strange climb!

But they provide acres of space for you to sit and enjoy the view and sunbathe. And a great spot to set up camp for the day while little ones (and big ones!) play on the sand.

Sand Dunes to Central St Annes

When you reach the northern end of the new seafront at Fairhaven Lake, you’ll see the sand dunes stretching out in front of you. The dunes line the seafront all the way to St Annes. Walk the footpath between them and the beach and enjoy the peaceful, natural habitat.

Because of its outward curve into the Ribble estuary, Fairhaven Lake is more vulnerable to the damaging effects of the tide. That’s why a substantial defence is needed here.

Where the coastline reverts to its normal shape and form, the sand dunes are the best form of sea defence that there can be. They naturally absorb any stormy seas, keeping residents safe from flooding.

Spitfire Memorial and St Paul’s Car Park

The new seafront at Fairhaven Lake ends (or begins!) at St Paul’s Car Park. It’s just a small pay and display car park, adjacent to the Lake.

It’s also where you’ll find the Spitfire Memorial (above), flying high above the Lake.

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The Old Sea Wall

There were two banks of shingle, just offshore in the Fairhaven area. Stretching from St Annes to Granny’s Bay, these banks tailed off in a crescent shape, known as the ‘Double Stanner’. To build the lake the ‘Double Stanner’ was enclosed, so trapping the sea water behind.

Did you know? The outer wall of Fairhaven Lake was built in the late 1890s, when the shingle banks were enclosed to form the lake.

The construction work took place in 1892 and the lake first filled in August 1893. By 1896 the project was finished.

Old Plans affected by flooding!

Those Victorian engineers also planned to extend the sea wall, lake and gardens to the Grand Hotel in St Annes, adding a grand carriage drive. Sadly they had to abandon their plans because of repeated flooding.

120 years later, these sea walls (above) were in a poor condition. At a considerable cost, emergency repairs had to be carried out regularly to prevent a breach. Without substantial new sea defence work, sooner or later these old defences would be breached in a storm.

If a breach had happened, it would expose the sand and shingle embankments underneath the wall. These would quickly erode leaving large numbers of properties vulnerable to flooding.

A large area is prone to flood and erosion risk. Combined it contains over 2,600 residential properties, a school and important infrastructure.

Building the New Seafront at Fairhaven Lake

First, the Fylde Peninsula Coastal Programme (FPCP) was established as a working partnership between Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool Councils along with the Environment Agency.

The FPCP uses the resources and expertise of the four organisations to implement the strategy set out in the Fylde Peninsula Shoreline Management Plan (SMP).

The Shoreline Management Plan is a long term plan which aims to identify future risks and put steps into place to manage them.

Fylde Council has been working hard over several years to obtain Central Government funding to protect properties and to regenerate this coastal area.

The process begins

It’s a long process to deliver a project like this, involving community consultation and various stages of funding applications.

Fylde Council planning department gave the regeneration of the Sea Defences at Fairhaven Lake and Church Scar the go ahead on Wednesday 19th April 2017.

The works span the coastline from St Pauls Avenue through to Seafield Road.

After competitive tender, Fylde Council appointed VBA to carry out the two year works in a detailed design and build contract. VBA is a joint venture between VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and Atkins, on behalf of the Environment Agency.

The scheme’s designed to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion to 2400 properties, during its 100 year lifespan. Funding is provided by the Environment Agency.

Work Begins on Site

Works started first at Church Scar. It includes piling, earthworks, precast concrete revetment installation and concrete resurfacing to the promenade.

• More about Church Scar here

Then team started work here at Fairhaven Lake.

Due to efficiencies and savings made in these stages, it was also possible to carry out works to Granny’s Bay at the same time. Another £2m of funding made it possible to create a joined-up stretch of new sea wall. This grant brings the overall Scheme value to £21,825,000.

• More about Granny’s Bay here

Fylde’s sea walls are built in the same way as Anchorsholme in Blackpool and Rossall at Fleetwood. If you’ve got an interest in big civil engineering projects it’s an interesting process.

• See how the Rossall sea wall was built here.

Award Winning Work

The Institute of Civil Engineers North West (ICE) recognised the Fairhaven to Church scar scheme as Sustainability Project of the year.

The works were completed under budget and ahead of the contract Completion Date of December 2020. The area reopened to the public in July 2020.

The ICE explained that the scheme ‘is all about protecting properties and infrastructure from coastal erosion and flooding threat. A huge carbon saving was achieved, including 97% of the waste recycled or reused. The project also used 80% local labour providing opportunities for apprentices and work experience. Safe, easy access to the beach is now provided for all – an exemplary job.’

Public Engagement

Part of the work from Fylde Council is to engage with the public and keep people informed about what’s happening.

Way back in April 2014 an early public consultation event took place, followed by an exhibition on 29 November 2017 at St Annes Town Hall. There, plans and artists impressions were on display.

During the consultation, public feedback is sought on a long list of options. The public is asked for their opinion on the scheme and how the completed works could be used. This evidence creates a business case to apply for Central Government funding (under the Coast protection Act 1959) to undertake the works.

Technical, environmental, social and economic factors are all taken into consideration. Considering everything develops a sustainable scheme and forms the decision on which scheme to go for. It’s also important to protect the sensitive natural ecology and environment, including over-wintering bird roosts.

Information Centre for the new seafront at Fairhaven Lake

A customer centre was open for the duration of the project next to the construction site off Fairlawn Road. There, new aerial photography and artists impressions were on display.

Additional Funding

Fylde Council also secured further funding of £1.476 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The Fairhaven Lake and Garden Restoration project restored the historic buildings, structures and landscapes of Fairhaven Lake and Gardens.

Supported through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund, the project aims to conserve and restore Fairhaven’s heritage buildings and landscape, improve the lake’s infrastructure and water quality, and provide an exciting new programme of events.

• Much more about Fairhaven Lake here

Did you know? The Ribble Estuary is one of the most important sites for birdlife in Europe. It’s a designated Ramsar site, Special Protection Area and SSSI.