A LARGE section of Walney Island's crumbling western coastline has been shored up with rock armour thanks to a £60,000 project organised by Barrow Borough Council.

Unusual weather events of recent years, tidal surges and the advancing Irish Sea have combined to cause serious erosion at many points along the Furness coast – with damage particularly acute on Walney's western flank.

Thorney Nook – at the southern end of Biggar Bank – is among the worst affected parts of the island.

After monitoring the erosion problems, Barrow town hall officers engaged local contractors HBP to carry out essential repairs and Walney South Labour councillors Frank Cassidy, Colin Thomson and Helen Wall inspected the finished work.

Cllr Cassidy said: “A steep wall of sea defences at Thorney Nook on Biggar Bank was starting to fail and in danger of becoming unsafe.

"Repairs were needed and we are grateful to council officers for supervising the re-construction.

“Climate change has undoubtedly played a role – but coastal erosion on this part of Walney is not something new.

"We recently obtained a map from an islander which clearly shows the changes in the coastline from 1737 to 1951.

“The chart shows there was a farm off Hare Hill that disappeared into the sea around the mid-1800s.

"The improvements at Thorney Nook will add to the brilliant work being carried out by volunteer members of the Better Biggar Bank Community Group.”

The council has used funding allocated in its capital programme to repair the rock armour defence. This is in line with the council's Walney Coastal Strategy which is to repair defences when failures occur which is distinct from creating new defences.

Walney South Labour councillor Colin Thomson said: “The western side of the island has been subject to coastal erosion for many years and I am pleased that this rock armour has been put in place at Thorney Nook to make the area more secure.

"Our thanks must go to the officers and staff at Barrow Borough Council for organising and making this project possible for the benefit of the whole community.”

The funding originally came from an Environment Agency grant which was used to create defences at West Shore Park. Some of the grant was left over and this was put into the capital programme for coastal defence maintenance.

Cllr Helen Wall said: “Walney is a unique and precious island and all six of its councillors are worried about the erosion.

"We all work constantly behind the scenes to look for solutions and we hope this rock armour will be effective.”