- Located just north of Liverpool, this part of the coastline has the largest area of sand dunes in England, at a length of over 17km, and a width which ranges between 200m and 4km
- In the 20th century, the sand dune system experienced lots of erosion, and lost 700m between 1920 and 1970
- During the last 20 years, erosion has taken place around Formby Point at a rate of about 4.5m/year
- Coastal erosion in this area is caused by the following:
- Storms and high tides
- Dredging of beach material for local foundry trade (metal casting) and glass industry
- Building of hard sea defences to north (Birkdale to Southport) and south (Hightown and Crosby)
- Development of ports in Liverpool and Preston
- Spoil dumping in the north
- Human access – people walking on the dunes
- Use of off-road vehicles
- Afforestation of a conifer plantation
- Tourism is an important industry, as the beaches, sand dunes and pine forest attract a lot of people – rare red squirrels and natterjack toads are an attraction
- It is predicted that there will be a sea level rise of 0.3m over the next 60 years – this will mean that wave height increases and there will be an increased risk of erosion
- Erosion is not only a problem in the immediate area – material is transported north and south from Formby Point and is deposited which can be a problem, for example, in Crosby, sections of paths and roads can be buried under accumulations of sand
- In the 1980s, the Sefton Coast Management Scheme began:
- Plant used Christmas trees on sea side of the dunes to stabilise them and encourage more dune regeneration
- Fence off sand dune areas to restrict pedestrian access
- Wooden posts in front of dunes to encourage regeneration
- Build boardwalks to stop people trampling the dunes
- Signage directing people to the beach but avoiding the dunes
- Ranger services to educate children about conservation of the dunes
- Ban off-road vehicles from dune system
- Control sand extraction for commercial purposes
- There has been a debate about the impact of the pine plantation, and if its removal would be more beneficial
