Fylde’s Saltmarsh wins national award
Fylde’s coastline is now officially among the best in the country for nature, after the Fylde Saltmarsh Project won a national award at the CIRIA Biodiversity Challenge Awards 2026.
The win was announced at a ceremony on Thursday 5 November. It celebrates the work to restore the saltmarsh at Fairhaven after the new sea wall was built. The project used innovative nature-based techniques to strengthen this unique habitat, so it can help protect our coast from the sea while giving birds, plants and wildlife a richer place to live.
The project has explored installing sediment traps made from biodegradable potato starch and using plants grown in a nearby nursery. These measures are intended to repair damaged areas of saltmarsh, rather than extend the marsh into new areas.
Local people have been at the heart of this success. Residents got hands-on through citizen science sessions, helping to monitor and care for the saltmarsh and building real pride in this special stretch of coast.
The CIRIA awards recognise projects that go above and beyond to put nature first, and this win places Fylde alongside the country’s leading examples of coastal protection. Guests at the ceremony also watched a short film about the project, which you can now see on Fylde Council and CIRIA’s digital platforms.
Lisa Foden, Head of Parks and Coastal Services at Fylde Council said: “Winning this national award is fantastic news for Fylde. The saltmarsh at Fairhaven shows how we can protect our coastline while creating a wilder, richer home for local wildlife. It’s a real credit to everyone involved, especially the residents who’ve given their time to our citizen science programme. We’re incredibly proud.”
Ellie Brown, Our Future Coast Programme Manager, added: “My congratulations to the team at Fylde Council, this win is richly deserved! This project is a shining example of collaborative working. The dedication of officers and volunteers is phenomenal, and their collective efforts have delivered outstanding outcomes for both nature recovery and the local community.”
The saltmarsh project sits within a wider approach to coastal management, alongside initiatives such as the Fylde Sand Dune project. Each stretch of coast is managed in a way tailored to its ecological and amenity priorities, balancing the needs of wildlife with how people use and enjoy the area.
The project is part of Our Future Coast, funded by Defra through the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency. The saltmarsh will keep growing stronger year after year, so families can enjoy a wilder, more resilient coastline for generations to come.
For more information about the Our Future Coast programme, visit https://thefloodhub.co.uk/ourfuturecoast/