Following the recent Welsh Labour Party Conference in Llandudno, local Assembly Member, Janet Finch-Saunders, has called on the First Minister to reinstate the town’s North Shore beach to its former sandy glory, before he leaves his post.
Janet said:
“The First Minister and his colleagues no doubt enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of my home town of Llandudno recently, during their Party’s annual conference. Their attention will have been drawn by the condition of the North Shore beach – previously a beautiful sandy stretch, now sadly suffering as a result of the dumping of quarry rocks along its length, as part of ‘flood prevention works’.
“These works have cost the Welsh Government some £1.4m, and though intended to be maintenance-free, continue to cost council taxpayers thousands of pounds per year in up-keep and clearing, remain highly contentious within the town.
“Of course, many in the hospitality business remain seriously concerned about the ongoing impact the loss of our sandy beach has on the tourism industry here.
“And meanwhile, debris and rotting sea life, caught up in the rocks, is decaying, and producing unsanitary and unsavoury conditions – not the sandy play paradise once so-loved by young and old alike.
“I am calling on the First Minister to ensure, as a matter of priority before he stands down, that they work with Conwy County Borough Council, to ensure that our much-valued beach is returned to its sandy glory once more, in a fully sustainable and environmentally sound manner.”
ENDS
Letter from Janet Finch-Saunders AM to the First Minister attached.
Photo:
L-R: Gary Burchett (former Llandudno Mayor and Cllr), Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Cllr Ian Turner (Llandudno TC), Cllr Frank Bradfield (CCBC and Llandudno TC), Cllr Francis Davies (Llandudno TC Mayor), Kay Swinburne MEP.
Notes
Janet Finch-Saunders AM has Tabled the following WAQ:
Will the First Minister commit to working with Conwy County Borough Council to ensure that Llandudno North Shore is returned to a sandy beach once more, in a long-term sustainable and environmentally sound manner, and urgently address the build-up of debris and decaying sea life caught in the quarry rocks?
Previous FOI response from CCBC, 09/12/15:
Dear Sir/Madam
Apologises for the delay - Please find below information in response to your Freedom of Information request.
Please provide the total cost and associated expenditure with the on-going frequent maintenance to the North Shore Beach to include:
• The redistribution of shingle from the Llandudno Sailing club slipway,
Shingle was re-distributed following completion of the new slipway to the required design level at a cost of £5,689.70
In addition to the above, shingle is cleared from the slipway surface every two weeks if required over the spring/summer period as part of routine maintenance works carried out through the Harbour Master’s office. The approximate cost of this operation, based on a bi-monthly clearance regime is £900 for a 6 month period.
• The redistribution of shingle around the ‘kiddies corner’ AND the main slipway, used by the Lifeboat and the pleasure boats,
The total cost for this operation in 2014 was £10,380.
• The removal and distribution of shingle that had formed a deep ledge /shelf on the North Shore beach following the coastal defence works in March 2014.
The cost for re-profiling the shingle at North Shore following the coastal defence works in March 2014 was £7,507.00
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Uned Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/ Information Governance Unit
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol CONWY County Borough Council
E-Bost / E-Mail: [email protected]
Recent WAQ response received by the Member:
FOR ANSWER BY
THE CABINET SECRETARY FOR ENERGY, PLANNING
AND RURAL AFFAIRS
ON 23 APRIL 2018
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to WAQ76311, what assurances can the Cabinet Secretary provide that Llandudno North Shore will be restored once again to a sandy beach as part of any ongoing and/or new coastal defence works? WAQ76356
Hannah Blythyn: The design of any future scheme to reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion at Llandudno North Shore is the responsibility of the Risk Management Authority.
Conwy County Borough Council is currently working on producing an Outline Business Case (OBC) for a potential future scheme at Llandudno North Shore through the Coastal Risk Management Programme. This business case will identify the current and future risk and consider different options for managing that risk. It will then put forward a preferred management option based on the specific conditions at the location.
The OBC was preceded by a Beach Management Plan setting out options for Llandudno. As part of this work Conwy County Borough Council has been working closely with the Llandudno Coastal Forum and local Councillors. This included a public drop in session with the local community to discuss options for addressing risk. Further consultation will continue through the process.
Beach re-nourishment is one option which could be considered by the Local Authority if appropriate to reduce flood risk.
