Thumbs up for radar mast on Morecambe Stone Jetty

Applicant Coastsense who monitor waves, currents, tides and weather and deliver data to organisations across the world, wanted to erect a coastal monitoring radar mast and equipment box at Trafalgar Point on Morecambe’s Stone jetty temporarily for three years.

In planning documents it said the mast had previously been deployed there in its mobile format based around a shipping container, but as this will be a longer deployment (three years) it is proposed to deploy it in a more permanent and less intrusive format based around a lighting column.

A background note to the planning application said: “The North West Regional Coastal Monitoring programme stretches from Wirral to the Scottish border, and is one of six regional monitoring programmes that forms a national network across England.

"The programme facilitates the systematic collection of coastal monitoring data to inform sustainable decision-making on the coast.

“The programme is funded by Defra and Sefton Council act as the lead authority.

"All of the data that is collected through the programme is gathered and managed by Sefton Council and made publicly available through the Channel Coast website.

“Coastal monitoring involves collecting a variety of data in the coastal environment.

"Long-term monitoring builds up an evidence base to help understand coastal processes, and understand where the risks, opportunities and consequences are in coastal management.

"The programme provides a consistent regional approach to coastal process monitoring, providing information of the development of strategic shoreline management plans, coastal defence strategies and operational management of coastal protection and flood defence.

“This deployment has been requested by Sefton Council as part of this wider programme to improve the understanding of coastal processes in this area with a particular focus on understanding channel movements and evolution.”

The Synoptic4D nearshore monitoring system proposed uses a suite of equipment including radar, meteorological and tidal sensors mounted on a street lighting type post to measure water depths, beach elevations, wave directions and sea current information.

Councillors approved the application to install a temporary coastal monitoring radar mast at the end of the Stone Jetty in Morecambe at a recent meeting of the planning committee.