Regional News

Proposed SPA designation at Morecambe Bay, Duddon Estuary and adjacent coast

Natural England are working on the development of recommendations to combine and extend Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary Special Protected Area (SPA) to create a single designated area. Both sites host internationally important breeding and non-breeding water birds listed under the Birds Directive such as the little tern Stemula albifrons and sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis. The

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Historic North West Lido wins Coastal Heritage Photo Competion!

Congratulations to Susannah Bleakley of Morecambe Bay Partnership whose photograph of the historic 1930s Lido at Grange-over-Sands won the recent DCLG/English Heritage Coastal Heritage photograpy competition. Susannah’s striking photograph of the lido – the only salt water lido left in the North West – was shortlisted from over 1000 entries and received more than 3000 votes

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Vote now for your favourite coastal heritage photo!

Nearly 2000 entries were received for the recent DCLG/English Heritage ‘Celebrating Coastal Heritage’ competition and the 24 shortlisted entries are now open to the public vote. Photographse were shortlisted on the basis of those best capturing the heritage of the coast whilst reflecting a variety of subjects, different areas of the English coast and the photographers themselves.

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Morecambe Bay Partnership awarded £300K award to build cycle tourism around the bay

Morecambe Bay Partnership has recently been given a £300,000 award from the Coastal Communities Fund to enhance the cycling tourism offer of Morecambe Bay. The work includes creating a new electric bike network, which will be the UK’s first long distance cycle route accessible by electric bike, and installing new bike infrastructure such as public repair

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Burbo Bank Extension Community Benefit Fund – forthcoming public exhibitions and consultation survey summary

The Online Consultation Survey Summary for the Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund has now been published. DONG Energy will establish a Community Benefit Fund (CBF) worth up to £250,000 per annum for the lifetime of the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay (amount dependent on final scale of the project). The consultation

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Copeland Coastal Partnership Conference – 19th March

This year’s Copeland Coastal Partnership Conference takes place on Thursday 6th March at Muncaster Castle, Cumbria. The conference will provide the opportunity to look back at the achievements of the Partnership since its launch in June 2011. It will also provide the opportunity to consider the coast’s future potential. The event is free to atttend. Booking,

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Coastal Communities Fund – 5 areas of the North West to benefit

The Coastal Communities Fund was established in 2012 to encourage the economic development of UK coastal communities by awarding funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs. Recently it was announced that £36m is being given out to communities around the UK, including 5 in the North West. Morecambe Bay Partnership will receive £297000 to

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Site Improvement Plan published for Solway Firth

A Site Improvement Plan (SIP) for the Solway Firth has been published by Natural England as part of the Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS), a LIFE funded project. The plan provides a high level overview of current and potential future issues affecting the health of Natura 2000 features in the Solway Firth

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Celtic Seas Partnership Project selects Solway as case study

Solway has recently been selected as a suitable case study for the Celtic Seas Partnership Project. Solway is one of three case studies identified as best practice for cross-border management of the marine environment. The Celtic Seas Partnership Project promotes the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which requires co-ordinated and collaborative sustainable

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NW-IFCA produces ‘Biosecurity Plan 2014-2019’

The North West Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NW-IFCA) has recently produced its Biosecurity Plan 2014-2019. The plan aims to reduce marine invasive non-native species (INNS) and shellfish disease within its territories. The plan presents the current marine environmental status within the NW-IFCA district, potential threats and measures to enhance biosecurity. For more information follow the link.