By Peter Guthrie, Eyemouth member
Climate change and coastal communities
The Scottish Borders coastline is under threat from Cove to Burnmouth. Scottish Borders Council has drafted the Berwickshire Coastal Change Adaptation Plan, a large-scale assessment of the risks to coastal communities from sea level rise, flooding and coastal erosion. Public consultation ran from 24 February to 23 March 2024.
Last winter’s storms damaged the beach at Coldingham Bay, caused cliff erosion at Burnmouth and threatened access along the Berwickshire Coastal Path. Coastal communities need adaptation plans that are funded and acted on, not left on a shelf.
Berwickshire Anti-litter Group
About two years ago, local people set up the Berwickshire Anti-litter Group (BAG) to keep the county’s roadsides tidy. Its volunteers regularly pick litter from the verges.
The group wants a clear agreement between Scottish Borders Council and BEAR Scotland, which manages the trunk roads, on who is responsible for litter. It has also asked fast food outlets in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dunbar about printing car registration numbers on packaging, and is petitioning the Scottish Government for a roadside litter awareness campaign.
