A report due to set out options to stop coastal erosion following damage in South Cumbria has been delayed.
As a result of Storm Ashley, a stretch of the path at Earnse Bay on Walney Island washed away.
Westmorland & Furness Council was due to publish a report on Friday from engineering consultants Jacobs.
In 2024, Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham and council leader Jonathan Brook carried out an inspection of the area and then Mrs Sctrogham met with Environment Agency officials to ask for urgent action to be taken.
The section of path at Earnse Bay is part of the King Charles III England Coast Path, a National Trail that will eventually span the entire English coastline.
Increasing levels of coastal erosion has resulted in Earnse Bay;s coastline receding significantly – with high tides lapping just metres from chalets at West Shore Park.
A spokesman for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “Westmorland and Furness Council recognises the strength of feeling among residents at West Shore Park and across Walney Island regarding ongoing coastal erosion, and we fully understand the anxiety caused by uncertainty and delay.
“West Shore Park is a particularly complex and sensitive frontage. It is experiencing accelerated erosion, is adjacent to nationally designated environmental sites, and is subject to long-standing shoreline management policies that require careful, evidence-led decision-making.
“The technical coastal study currently under way has been commissioned as part of the Our Future Coast programme, funded through Defra’s Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.
“Its purpose is to improve understanding of coastal processes at West Shore Park, examine whether nature-based or sediment-management approaches could reduce erosion risk, and inform long-term adaptation planning in line with national policy.
“It is important to be clear that this funding is not for the construction of new hard defences, but for developing robust evidence to support future decisions.
“The council did not take the decision to delay publication lightly. The report reached us in draft form earlier last week, and we have asked for elements of the analysis and presentation to be developed further.
“We have asked for this to be completed urgently and now expect the final report to be published early in the new year.
“Once received, the findings will be shared with key stakeholders, including the West Shore Park task group, local councillors, and partner organisations, and will be made publicly available.
“Alongside this study, the council continues to take action within its remit.
“Temporary stabilisation work was undertaken earlier this year to address immediate safety concerns, emergency planning arrangements are in place, and we continue to engage closely with the park owners, the Environment Agency, Natural England, and other partners.
“As riparian landowners, the park operators retain responsibility for managing their frontage, including any privately funded protection measures, subject to the necessary environmental and marine consents.
“We acknowledge residents’ frustration and the length of time this issue has persisted. While there are no simple or immediate solutions, we are committed to openness, to improving communication, and to ensuring that decisions about West Shore Park are based on the best available information rather than rushed or incomplete analysis.
“Westmorland and Furness Council remains ready to meet with Mrs Scrogham and other stakeholders to discuss the study findings once published and to continue working collectively toward a sustainable and responsible way forward for West Shore Park and Walney Island.”
Mrs Scrogham said: “This report is an absolutely vital next step in finding a solution at West Shore Park, so I’m angry that it has been delayed yet again.
“Our West Shore Park residents have waited for months that have turned into years to obtain information about how the coastal erosion is developing and what might be done to address the situation.
“The advancing sea has destroyed concrete walls and is getting closer to the chalets.
“This simply isn’t good enough.”
