Moray coastal erosion projects awarded £200,000 in funding

THREE projects aimed at tackling coastal erosion in Moray have secured over £200,000 in funding.

Kingston Recharge, Monitoring Moray Coast and Near-Real Time Coastal Resilience Modelling will each receive a share of £1m of funding made available from the Scottish Government's Coastal Change Adaptation Programme.

Due to be delivered in 2024-25, the projects include plans to enhance natural defences to help reduce the rate of erosion and improve protection from flooding.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has welcomed the news adding that coastal erosion has been a topic of "serious concern" in Moray for some time.

Mr Lochhead said: "I’m really pleased to see coastal erosion projects in Moray secure this funding from the Scottish Government.

“Coastal erosion has been a serious concern for people in Kingston and communities along the Moray coast for some time, and it’s vital that the local authority is working with local communities as we face the impact of erosion and rising sea levels.

“Climate change is already having a real impact here in Moray and I welcome this funding from the Scottish Government which will improve our understanding of how our coastline is changing and how we can adapt.”

Mr Lochhead visited Kingston beach in early 2022 after high tides caused erosion of the shingle bank near the village leaving many locals concerned about the threat of flooding.

It is hoped that the funding, part of £12m committed for coastal change adaptation, will better support improvements to monitoring of coastlines.

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