New funding will help protect Ayrshire's coastline

South Ayrshire Council in partnership with Ayrshire Roads Alliance, has received £180,000 from the Scottish Government's Coastal Change Adaptation Programme.

The funding will be used to update the Council's Shoreline Management Plan leading to a new Coastal Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP).  

With storms and unpredictable weather on the increase, a coastline assessment is set to be carried out on how communities close to the sea could be impacted by events such as coastal flooding.

A key priority for the plan will be proactively planning for the future and ensuring monitoring, early responses and interventions are in place. The Council will also be working with local communities, other local authorities, stakeholders as well as nature to help tackle coastal erosion.

A good example of this partnership approach is the Blackburn Road Car Park Sand Dune project, where the community was encouraged to donate old Christmas trees to help the sand form a natural barrier.

Investigative work has also taken place over the past year on the stretch of coastline at Ballantrae. The local community has been involved in the project to help to better understand and prepare for coastal erosion in and beyond the village.

Engagement with communities will be key in other towns and villages following an assessment of the Ayrshire coastline. The Council will also be working with North Ayrshire Council to develop a joined-up approach.

Councillor Martin Kilbride, Buildings, Housing and Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: "I welcome this investment as it means we can work with our communities to ensure they are more resilient to coastal erosion.

"A massive 46% of the Scottish open and erodible coast is already being slowly eaten away and this figure is set to increase.

"The funding will allow careful mapping of the Ayrshire coastline and give us an idea of the places most at risk. We will also be looking at more sustainable nature-based solutions to coastal erosion and ensuring that our communities are more resilient to cope with extreme weather."

Councillor Alec Clark, Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs Portfolio Holder said: "We have many communities in South Ayrshire which are affected by rising sea levels and coastal flooding. Engagement is key, we need to find out about local experiences past and present and then work with communities to find solutions.

"The Council does not have the resources to build mile after mile of sea walls, so we need to work with the environment to find sustainable solutions that benefit residents and businesses."