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Redcar and Cleveland Council agrees to realign Cowbar Lane in Staithes to prevent collapse from coastal erosion
Overview
Redcar and Cleveland Council has approved the first phase of a plan to move Cowbar Lane in Staithes away from a cliff edge threatened by coastal erosion. The project involves realigning approximately 90 metres of the highway further inland, demolishing a single property, and securing funding and planning applications. The road serves as the sole vehicle access for properties in Cowbar, the northern side of Staithes Harbour, a Yorkshire Water pumping station, and an RNLI lifeboat station.
Key points
- Redcar and Cleveland Council's cabinet agreed to the first phase of a scheme to realign Cowbar Lane due to risks from coastal erosion.
- The project's first phase involves moving about 90 metres of the highway further inland and demolishing a single property.
- Cowbar Lane is the only vehicle access route for properties in Cowbar, northern Staithes Harbour, a Yorkshire Water pumping station, and an RNLI lifeboat station.
- The initial phase is budgeted between £1.8m and £2.2m and aims to provide 15 years of safe passage.
- The wider three-phase strategy anticipates moving the road further inland over time, with the final phase currently projected for 2074.
- Construction for the first phase is expected to begin in the spring and take about nine months.