Almost 1,300 homes are now "protected" against the threat of "catastrophic flooding" as a £1.4m coastal defence scheme has now finished construction.
A new rock flood defence that stretches almost a mile down the North Wirral coastline has now been completed. The defenses will provide "protection" to 1,269 homes and properties in the areas of Leasowe, Moreton and Meols that are at risk of "catastrophic flooding" from the sea, according to Wirral Council.
The defences should protect the three areas for the next 30 years, and it is believed they will save more than £58m that would be spent in that time on flood risk reduction benefits. Cllr Liz Grey, of Wirral Council, called the completion of the flood defences a "real achievement."
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She said: "Wirral Council has long-standing policies and strategies in place to manage and maintain our shoreline to protect, not just life and property, but also the significant environmental designations that covers much of our coastline.
"The need for work to strengthen the toe along the Wallasey embankment was first identified in the Wirral Coastal Strategy that was approved nine years ago to mitigate the impacts of the Meols channel running along the toe near to Leasowe Lighthouse. Delivering on that work and putting this additional protection in place is a real achievement."
The proposal for the work was put forward in May 2020 due to concerns over erosion at the base of the Wallasey Embankment. Work was carried out during the summer months of 2022 to mitigate any impact on wildlife in the area including wintering bird species.
Ollie Hope, the Environment Agency's area flood and coastal risk manager for Chesire and Merseyside, said: "The Environment Agency is delighted to have worked with Wirral Council on this significant investment to the North Wirral coast. This new scheme will better protect North Wirral now and for future generations as sea levels rise and storms become more extreme because of climate change.
"We are proud to be a partner on this scheme and look forward to supporting Wirral Council on future projects to better protect communities from flooding."
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