News & Updates

Crosby Interim Coastal Defences aims to protect the coastline from being lost where a path and pipeline are at high risk of being lost. The area north of Crosby Coastguard Station is being washed away because of large waves and storms moving sand and rubble away from the area. Normally in this area, we generally see loses between 0.5m to 1m per year, but in winter 2013/14 13m was lost. 

There are no properties at risk of being washed away, but the pathway that is part of the King Charles III coastal walking path and a national cycling route is at risk of being washed away. This path is also used to get to the sewer pumping station building. Landward of the path is a large sewer pipe buried in the ground that takes foul water from about 12,000 properties in Crosby and Hightown and is also at risk. 

Public Consultation - Why your views matter

It is important for you to be aware of the plans and provide your thoughts. This will allow us to consider information you give us which could change the plans before moving onto the next stage, which will be seeking necessary approvals and construction methods to undertake the work.   

To comment on the proposed plans please see the Consultation webpage.

To find out more about the project, please see the Interim Coastal Defences Project – Hall Road, Crosby’ Briefing.

The ‘Pool’ watercourse, situated in Southport’s Churchtown and Crossens, has been earmarked for improvement works to help reduce flooding in the area. The ‘Making Space for Water’ project aims to reduce the number of flood incidents by replacing underground drainage pipes and creating wetland areas. Excess water will move into these wetland areas during heavy rainfall events and eventually flow back into the watercourse once rainfall has subsided.

In late 2023, the Council undertook a public consultation exercise for the proposed plans and the feedback of this consultation is now available to view.

To find out more about the project, please see the ‘Making Space for Water’ Project Briefing.

The Environment Agency (EA) has recently launched a roadmap setting out practical actions to be taken over the next four years to tackle the growing threat of flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water as well as coastal erosion.

The FCERM Strategy Roadmap builds on existing progress and sets out how we can be better prepared for the unavoidable impacts of climate change by ensuring the country is resilient and ready to respond and adapt to flooding and coastal change. The Environment Agency will be delivering the Roadmap with many partners including local authorities (e.g. Sefton Council), local drainage boards, farmers, environmental groups, infrastructure providers and the insurance sector.

Delivery of the actions in the Roadmap will:

• Ensure that new homes will be safe from flooding.
• Maximise the use of nature to enhance flood and coastal resilience while aiding nature recovery.
• Improve the flood resilience of our roads, railways, and other vital national infrastructure.
• Ensure the delivery of environmental improvements and sustainable growth as part of flood and coastal projects.
• Enhance our flood forecasting and warning services to help people be better prepared to respond to flood events.
• Support building back better to reduce the damage and disruption caused by flooding.
• Work with communities and local partners to develop long term plans to manage future flooding and coastal change and adapt to future hazards.

Sefton Council, the Environment Agency and United Utilities have signed a joint statement of intent to reassure Maghull communities that they are continuing to work together to explore solutions to reduce the risk of flooding. 

The statement strengthens the collaborative approach already undertaken to manage and reduce flood risk, further prompted by weather events in January 2021. A major incident was declared due to significant rainfall brought by Storm Christoph on Wednesday 20th January 2021 which also saw the Environment Agency issue two Severe Flood Warnings in Maghull, covering 439 properties within the flood warning area. 

The predicted flooding did not happen as expected but the incident highlighted the need for all three organisations to come together to find deliverable improvements that make a significant difference for the community. 

All three organisations have sought to manage the risks through a range of means to date including routine maintenance, capital investments, improvements to warning and informing residents as well as planning control. Alongside the statement of intent, a new flood risk working group will also be established with representation from all three agencies. 

In July 2019 Sefton Council declared a Climate Emergency. In declaring a Climate Emergency, it was agreed that: 

Sefton Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions and resolves to go further than the UK100 Agreement and to act in line with the scientific consensus that we must reduce emissions to net zero by 2030, and therefore commits to: 

• Make the Council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030. 
• Ensure that all strategic decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by 2030. 
• Achieve 100% clean energy across Sefton Council’s full range of functions by 2030.