Bird observatory planned for North Sea coast at Huttoft

The observatory design features a visitor centre and coastal watch tower

Plans to build a new £600,000 North Sea bird observatory have been submitted as part of a development project on the Lincolnshire coast.

The glass-fronted structure, which would be built at Huttoft, features a visitor centre, cafe and watch tower.

It is part of a county council scheme to create a country park along five miles of coastline between Sandilands and Chapel St Leonards.

If approved, the observatory is expected to open in the autumn.

Peter Fender, economic infrastructure manager for Lincolnshire County Council, said the building would provide the latest technology for visitors to learn about the one million birds which migrate along the coastline each year.

He said the observatory had been designed to fit in with its surroundings and could be bolted into place above the ground using a steel anchoring system, meaning it would allow sand to blow underneath and could be moved.

The project is being funded by Lincolnshire County Council and Arts Council England.