Building a Shared Perspective on Hesketh Out Marsh Through Co-Production

This report summarises the process and outputs of a workshop organised and funded via the Co-Opt research project and hosted by Hesketh Bank Community Centre on the 6th of June 2024. The workshop brought together participants who are interested and/or affected by the Hesketh Out Marsh managed realignment, including representatives of government agencies, local government, farmers and nature conservation charities.

The objective of the workshop and of this report is to build a shared understanding of the current challenges at Hesketh Out Marsh and the surrounding area and outline the steps required to address them. This workshop served as a starting point for a collaborative and innovative approach to decision-making for this area. Diverse, and sometimes contrasting, views exist about the success and effectiveness of this managed realignment scheme. A participatory approach (co-production) was therefore adopted to foster a shared understanding of the social-ecological challenges in the area. This participatory process, which values equal contributions from all participants, highlights the importance of co-creation in decision-making and coastal management.

This report seeks to gather and present the diverse perspectives of the participants. An initial draft was prepared and shared with participants for their feedback, which was subsequently collected and incorporated into the final version. We made every effort to include all the feedback received and believe that we have addressed the most significant points.

The main issues related to Hesketh Out Marsh were highlighted to be fragmented responsibilities in terms of maintenance and the siltation of outfalls. The area is under pressure due to constraints on the drainage system and a lack of funding. Participants identified many potential responses and preparatory measures, highlighting improved strategic planning, public engagement and stakeholder collaboration as some of the essential future actions.

This report focuses on Hesketh Out Marsh but is designed to function as a standalone document for wide distribution. It also serves as an example of a participatory process that can be adapted for local decision-making in other contexts.