September 28, 2022 - 1616 views
The saga of getting sand back to Llandudno's North Shore beach continues with local MS Janet Finch-Saunders being fiercly crtical of the position being taken by Welsh Government over the issue.
In a response received from Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change Welsh Government, Mrs. Finch-Saunders has discovered that while the Welsh Government does accept that sand can be an effective sea defence it remains opposed to deploying sand on Llandudno’s North Shore beach.
With hundreds of hotels and guest houses and a diverse and vibrant high street all linked to the continued success of the tourism economy of historic Victorian resort, she has been fighting since 2014 to see a programme of works undertaken to remove quarry stones from North Shore beach and to have sand returned.
Commenting on the response Mrs. Finch-Saunders said: “Having previously indicated that sand would not be a feasible option for Llandudno’s North Shore beach, Julie James MS has now confirmed that the use of sand on both the Rhos-on-Sea and Colwyn Bay beaches is viewed as an effective sea defence.
“I am deeply disappointed that once again the Welsh Government have agreed that sand can be used effectively to protect communities from coastal erosion and flooding but remain determined not to see it used at the Queen of Welsh Resorts, a position that I and others will find totally ridiculous.
“Llandudno plays a leading role in the national tourism sector. It has been identified that should the town continue to adapt to the changing conditions within the tourism market and invest accordingly, there is every possibility that the number of day visitors could increase from 2.88 million in 2018 to 4.08 million by 2045. Additionally, the economic impact of tourism in Llandudno is expected to rise to over £500 million by 2045.
“I believe that the restoration of a sandy beach at North Shore is vital if we as a community are to achieve these ambitious targets.
“Visitors, businesses, residents, the Local Authority and other elected representatives can all see the common-sense approach of utilising sand to protect Llandudno while simultaneously supporting the local economy. It appears that it is only the Welsh Government that cannot see the win-win outcome in such a programme.
“Currently I am still awaiting a response from Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for the Economy, Welsh Government, regarding other potential funding avenues that could be used to see sand returned to this beach.
“I remain firmly committed to exploring all possible opportunities to see a sandy beach returned at the North Shore.”
Welsh Government has been approached for comment.
