A scenic Stewartry village is to have its sea defences bolstered against tidal erosion.
Council planners gave the long-awaited Carsethorn coastal protection project the go ahead on Friday.
Now applicants Carsethorn Community Development Group can press ahead with plans to stem the Solway tides.
Mark Hennessy, trustee of the local charity, welcomed the decision – but regretted it had not come sooner.
“We are all delighted,” he told the News.
“But given that we are just coming out of lockdown Carsethorn is likely to be very busy.
“So we will defer building the defences until September.
“You can’t have giant dumper trucks and JCBs on the beach when kids are climbing all over the rocks.
“We can’t give a specific date because the work is tides and weather dependent.
“If we had got the go ahead a month before we could probably have done it by April.”
The scenic coastal village between New Abbey and Sandyhills is vulnerable to storms and high tides.
Ongoing coastal erosion threatens beachside gardens and parking areas without rock armour.
And huge sections of land either side of Carsethorn have already been claimed by the waves.
Properties along much of the single street, including the popular Steamboat Inn, are currently without defences.
The development group will complete the missing sections and make repairs where needed.
“This project means the village will be safe from measurable erosion,” Mr Hennessy said.
“Currently the gaps mean the tide can come round and undermine the rock wall from behind.
“But if you have a continuous line with no breach it is completely defended and spreads the load of the waves.
“This will be an immense benefit in the long term by taking away the erosion risk.
“That’s important because the village is getting busier and busier.”
Mr Hennessy added: “Living in Carsethorn it’s inevitable that there will be erosion events.
“Photos show it’s been happening over years rather than in one catastrophic event.
“What this will do is put a dead stop to that erosion.”
“And as long as the wall is maintained by a JCB replacing any loosened boulders every 18 months the erosion threat is gone.”
To complete the sea wall 7,000 tonnes of granite boulders will be used – all sourced and recycled
locally.
In addition, fabric backing will stop sand and soil being sucked out from beneath the wall.
Mr Hennessy said: “The rock will all come from local farmers’ fields.
“They are constantly ploughing and digging up stuff they don’t want.
“It’s great material for sea defences.
“It will protect council assets such as the road, car park, bus shelter as well as visual historical boards.”
He added: “There are a number of businesses here, not just the pub.
“And the village has really come alive with an influx of children.
“It’s a vibrant community with a great community spirit.
“But if nature was left to do its worst Carsethorn would come under threat over the years because of climate change.
“This means the community is absolutely secure for the duration of the wall being there.”
The new defences will be exactly the same design as those already built.
Once completed they will stretch the entire length of the village.
