North West Gets 2 New Marine Conservation Zones

NW Coastal Forum

Twenty three new Marine Conservation Zones were announced on Sunday 17th January, including two for the North West: Allonby Bay and West of Walney, both in Cumbria. Allonby Bay has been designated for blue mussel beds, honeycomb worm reef peat and a range of habitats such as peat and clay exposures. It is an inshore […]

National Coastal Access – Progress in North West England Jan 2016

NW Coastal Forum

Natural England have produced their monthly update for January 2016 summarising the progress being made on delivery of coastal access in the North West. The trail is progressing with Stretch 1 (Allonby to Whitehaven) open but requiring some roll-back work, Stretch 2 – Whitehaven to Silecroft at establishment phase and stretch 3 and 4 (covering […]

Wanted: budding scientists to capture our coast!

NW Coastal Forum

People with a passion for the UK’s coastline are being invited to help make history by being part of the largest coastal marine citizen science project ever undertaken. The £1.7m Capturing Our Coast project, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund, is designed to further our understanding of the abundance and distribution of marine life around […]

MSFD: UK Programme of Measures published

NW Coastal Forum

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires all EU Member States to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in their marine waters by 2020. The UK’s Marine Strategy sets out how this will be achieved in UK waters and comprises 3 parts; part one sets out targets, part two sets out indicators and the newly published part […]

National Coastal Access – Progress in North West England, Dec 2015

NW Coastal Forum

Natural England have produced their monthly update for December 2015 summarising the progress being made on delivery of coastal access in the North West. The pace of progress is being stepped up and the trail is progressing down into Lancashire, with development and preparation work starting on sections 3 to 6 (covering an area from […]

Bay Cycle Way wins Best Visitor Experience at the Lancashire Tourism Awards!

NW Coastal Forum

Huge congratulations to Susannah Bleakley and her team at Morecambe Bay Partnership and their partners, Sustrans for achieving this wonderful accolade to their hard work and dedication in creating a new / enhanced visitor experience around Morecambe Bay! Susannah,  Executive Director, and Janet Barton, 700 Days Coordinator of Morecambe Bay Partnership collected the award at the […]

2015 Bathing Water Results Published

NW Coastal Forum

Defra has published the 2015 Bathing Waters Compliance Report. New, tougher bathing water standards are now in place with 4 categories: poor, sufficient, good and excellent. In total 624 freshwater, estuarine and coastal bathing waters (waters officially designated for bathing) were monitored across the UK with 415 in England, 102 in Wales, 84 in Scotland and 23 in […]

Marine plans in England: Defra’s progress report for 2009 to 2015

NW Coastal Forum

Defra has provided Parliament with the first six year progress report on marine planning  in England which is a reporting requirement of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. It was laid before Parliament on 5th November 2015. It is short and succinct as only one set of plans (East Inshore and East Offshore) have yet […]