AN APPLICATION to create 'high-quality habitat' for birds at a coastal salt marsh has been submitted to South Lakeland District Council.

The series of saline lagoons would be installed at West Plain Marsh, which sits to the south of Flookburgh. 

A planning statement submitted in support of the application from Samantha Hagon, of Holker Estates Company Limited, says the project is aiming to provide 'high-quality habitat for breeding and wintering waders and waterfowl'.

The statement, from Penny Anderson Associates Ltd, says the site would also seek to provide brackish vegetation communities and a 'range of plant communities associated with saline lagoons and saltmarsh'.

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The statement says the lagoons would be shallow and 'interconnected with deeper channels and islands'.

"The saline lagoons have been designed and would be constructed in such a way as to occasionally be inundated by the tide and provide a valuable extension to a rare wetland habitat in the North West," it says.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application says the site is currently managed as grazing marsh and is grazed by sheep.

"The design of the scheme uses natural terrain as much as possible, and includes the infilling of creeks and drainage ditches, and the construction of a low earthwork (apron) around the lagoons," says the statement.

"Stock fencing would be installed along the eastern boundary to deter access from the adjacent footpath and vehicular access track.

"Walkers on this footpath (the future England Coast Path) and the track adjacent to the eastern boundary would obtain clear open views into the site.

"Once the vegetation establishes, the proposals would be clearly noticeable, but would appear in-character and appropriate in the coastal marsh landscape.

"The raised bund would quickly assimilate into the wider landscape as vegetation establishes.

"The lagoons would therefore have a natural appearance rather than an engineered one.

"The inlet/outlet pipes would be barely noticeable amongst the vegetation.

"Due to the low-lying nature of the proposals, and the existing flood defence embankments to the north and east of the site, visibility of it beyond the immediate vicinity would be largely restricted, except from the adjacent footpath."