Posted: Sun Dec 05, 04 9:25 am Post subject: �20m bill to protect coastal park
Up to may �20m may be needed for sea defences to protect Llanelli's award winning Millennium Coastal Park (MCP).
Emergency work is needed at sections of the 10 mile coastline to stop erosion of the �30m attraction.
A sea wall at Llanelli beach is in danger of collapsing, there is erosion at Burry Port and sand dunes at Pembrey are disappearing.
A report to Carmarthenshire councillors has said major investment would be needed to safeguard the shoreline.
The capital cost is conservatively estimated to be over �15m and could be closer to �20m
Richard Workman
If action is not taken sections of the cycle track near Loughor may have to be set back inland due to erosion.
Sea defences need to be boosted at Machynys which is home to the new Jack Nicklaus golf course.
Emergency works are need at Llanelli Beach, the foot of the �100,000 earth sculpture at Burry Port needs reinforcing and the build up of silt is causing concern at the entrance to Burry Port Harbour.
Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: "There is a need to acknowledge that the south Llanelli coast protection works are vital to the MCP.
"The capital cost of the Llanelli and Machynys schemes is conservatively estimated to be over �15m and could be closer to �20m."
He said modest sums had been spent on maintenance in the past but that amounted to about �50,000 over the past 10 years.
Work had been started in Burry Port last year but only �18,000 had been available and it had not been completed.
There are very few sections of the park in immediate danger but problems would arise in the long term.
Studies will be carried out to assess the options, the potential costs and funding sources.
The park was a lottery funded project to regenerate a section of coastline and 2,000 acres of contaminated and neglected industrial wasteland.
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