Petition demands return of sand to popular beach
A petition with 12,500 signatures demanding sand be put back on a Llandudno beach was presented to the Welsh Government this afternoon.
Led by mayor Cllr Greg Robbins, Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders, and Cllr Ian Turner, who instigated the campaign, protesters gathered on the prom to present the petition to Welsh Government MS Jack Sargent.
MS Jack Sargent is the chairman of the petitions committee at Welsh Government.
Cllr Turner started the petition two months ago to lobby for sand to be put back on Llandudno beach after rocks were placed on the seafront in 2014 following Welsh Government funded sea defence work.
Cllr Ian Turner said: “It has been quite emotional. It has been a long time coming. This is a major thing that has happened. I just hope the Welsh Government listens. Hopefully this will be a game-changer for the town.”
Welsh Government has offered the council £7m in flood protection money for a rock based scheme at North Shore but says the Wales flooding fund can’t afford the sand and groynes project that would cost £24m.
Campaigners have asked for more from the Welsh Government and an application is also being considered for UK Government levelling up funding. Similar beach schemes in Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea were backed by EU funds that are now not available after Brexit.
The petition reaching 10,000 signatures means the matter can be officially debated at the Senedd.
Covid
This week it was revealed Conwy’s tourist industry is now worth £1.1 billion, having recovered from the COVID pandemic.
But the industry has lost hundreds of millions of pounds since 2020, and Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders said she hoped Welsh Government would listen to the wishes of residents and tourists.
“Cllr Ian Turner launched this petition two months ago. We needed 10,000 signatures. Well we’ve gone 2,000 over. It means we stand the chance now of a full debate in Welsh Parliament,” she said.
“The council is now doing an economic assessment to show the economic benefits of putting sand back on the beach. So we need to have this debate on the floor of the Senedd. We need the funding from Welsh Government.
“The money has been allocated for the sea defence scheme, but what we are saying is for an extra £10m we can have the scheme and have sand for the beach.
“It’s not me – it’s my residents, my visitors, our businesses. You know, children can’t go on there on those rocks. It is inaccessible to the old people, disabled people. If you actually look at the revenue, the business rates that hotels pay.
“You’ve got these fabulous beaches in Colwyn Bay and Rhos on Sea, and the sand is part of the sea defence work. Why can’t we have something similar in Llandudno?
“We already know Llandudno is the jewel in the crown. But we also believe she deserves – and I say ‘she’ because she’s the queen of the Welsh resorts – to have the sand restored.
“The sand was here for donkey’s years, and literally when I say ‘donkey’s years’, the donkeys that were always a huge attraction in Llandudno can’t go on the beach now because of the stones. The donkeys are in a field redundant. The owner would love them to be on the beach.”
She added, “Once you get sand back on the beach, it is good for our hoteliers, our shops, our high street. It is very competitive out there now. Having sand back will encourage more families to come. It will be amazing.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Perhaps a petition for money for what’s needed would have been better…. People seem to have got the very wrong idea about what petitions are for and what they can achieve and what is achievable in the real world of late …. “Put the sand back on the beach…. put the hole back in Jammie Dodgers….make it so I don’t need to use them blue pills….sign my petition to have the UralgghhharRRR people from Venus prevented from buying a bungalow that hasn’t got adequate insulation…sign this so my mum can’t throw out my collection of used tissues….make it so we… Read more »
An extra £10 million- sandy beach or more Nurses, Doctors, Dentists/ maintain public services during a cost of living crisis ? I Suggest that the drinking water in Llandudno be tested for contaminants/hallucinogenics
have a word with the mermaids to stop them stealing it.
Perhaps Mrs French and Saunders would like to get “levelling up” money from her party in London. It was they, after all, who swore Great Britain would be awash with money after fleeing those “dirty forriners” and “taking back our sovrinty”. Didn’t her party promise they would provide the same level of funding as we got from the EU? £24m is a lot of money to spend to “bring back” 1970s seaside holidays building sandcastles on the beach and “slap up feasts of fish and chips and gritty 99s”. Maybe we can buy it with some of our £2bn HS2… Read more »
Is this a joke? That Tory lady (sadly my MS), genuinely wants £10m more… for sand! If you want it so badly, raise the money yourselves. Anhygoel!
With all thats going on in the world and at home we discuss sand on the beach!
Is this a joke! People are being made homeless and you want sand, maybe we should pitch tents on the beach then how would that work for you? You need to get real!
One very angry local tenant being made homeless..
What’s the point of spending millions on sand when we constantly being told that Llandudno is going to be under water soon? Better to spend the money on coastal defences.