Rock groynes would have stopped our lifesaving operation, says RNLI man

A leading member of Blackpool RNLI says a dramatic rescue mission off the coast earlier this year would not have succeeded if controversial rock groynes were in place – and lives would have been lost.

Steven Fitzgerald, chairman of the Blackpool RNLI, has strongly reiterated his objections to proposals to install rigid rocks groynes across Blackpool’s beaches.

Blackpool Council is planning to put 35 of the structures in place as part of environmental efforts to save Blackpool’s famous golden sands with two schemes – at Bispham and Central Beach -after it was discovered that levels were receding at an alarming rate, revealing layers of clay beneath.

Planners face a difficult decision in the coming weeks as key environmental issues are pitted against serious safety concerns raised by the RNLI and other objectors.

A similar scheme in Anchorsholme has already been given planning approval, while a decision on Blackpool Central was deferred in September but will have to be looked at again.

Mr Fitzgerald put his concerns into stark context when he said that a rescue mission which saw two young cousins dramatically rescued off Blackpool this year could not have been saved had the groynes already been in place.

He said: “I would cast your mind back to the incident in May, where the two young lads were rescued at South Pier. Both my experienced helms at that day said to me if those groynes had been there, they wouldn’t have been able to make that approach and that speed that they did.

“We probably only had five seconds before that little lad lost his life and that is the difference between life and death. This is where we’re coming from.

“We objected originally to the planning of the rock groynes, solely on safety – public safety, crew safety, operational responders safety.

“We objected to the Anchorsholme scheme, and that was passed without our knowledge.

“But when we came to the central beach scheme, we made sure that we got our thoughts heard.

“Now, we’ve been engaging with the Council since April to see if we could work out where the safety assessments have been done, what the safety assessments were, and what consideration have been given to the safe operation of rock groynes and around that.

“When the planning committee heard this matter on the 1st of September, I wasn’t happy that we’d been given all the information. And I told the planning committee that that was the case, and because of our experience and expectations around what the problems the rock groynes would give us, I highlighted that clearly to the planning committee, and they deferred their decision.

“One of the main things, my responsibility is for the safety of the crews that go out there to rescue people that go themselves into trouble.

“Our ethos is saving lives at sea. Our responsibility here is to make sure the crews are equipped, trained, and not put into situations that may be dangerous, or have to make decisions to go into situations that are dangerous because there’s no other options.

“There are a total of 35 rock groynes on the Bispham and Central Beach schemes, which is a considerable amount, and I’m not aware of that number anywhere else in the country, that we’re going to have to deal with.

“So we have been quite strong in our approach to the council and into the risk assessment process, but there is a minimum requirement for the rock groynes that is not met under the current scheme.

“They’re very close to the piers, and that would affect our ability to get into the piers and affect rescues.”

Mr Fitzgerald is a former police officer who witnessed the tragic drowning of three colleagues in 1983.

He said: “I spent 20 minutes on that front trying to rescue them. Fortunately, my colleague here at the RNLI, Pat Abram, was saved. As a result of that and the lack of equipment, the coroner wrote to the council and said that they had to look at the beach life-saving equipment.

“It was always an issue to be wise after the event. What I said to the planning committee in September is I don’t want the councillors and Blackpool council to be ‘wise after the event’ again, but to be aware and have all the facts before they make a decision.”

He added: “My question is, if my crews can’t get in, who is going to make that rescue? Nobody can answer that question because all the other emergency services all have their limitations.

“We really have to look at alternatives.”

But a Blackpool Council spokesperson said: “The rock groynes, planned as part of the Blackpool Beach Management Scheme, are vital for our sea defences and are the most effective way to prevent coastal erosion.

“Once installed, members of the public should not climb on the rocks, and clear signage will be in place.

“Engineers considered a wide range of options before finalising the design. While timber groynes have been used in the past, they were largely ineffective at retaining the beach, had a limited lifespan, and created deep scour channels adjacent to them, which filled with pools of water.

“Rock groynes work much better – they last longer and trap sand effectively, reducing the impact of wave energy and scour.

“Adding new sand to the beach was also considered. However, without groynes in place to hold sand on the beach, most of it would be rapidly washed away by the tide.

”We are committed to improving beach safety and we hope to work with local partners to build on this.

“The Blackpool Beach Management Scheme is essential for protecting 6,709 households and businesses from erosion and flooding, and to help preserve the beach for generations to come. Sand levels are falling significantly and without urgent action, the beach could be lost forever.”