Beach facing fight to stay open for bathers
Town warned of “very damaging” blow to tourist trade
South Ayrshire’s top tourist beach faces being ruled off limits to swimmers next year.
Concerned health officials say the bathing waters of Ayr’s south sands are now drinking in last chance saloon.
SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, is leading a desperate cross agency bid to stop the ‘ keep out’ signs from being erected.
It comes on the back of four consecutive ‘ poor’ ratings for the South Beach since 2016.
A fifth will render the water a no- go area.
And although the beach itself would not be closed, those visiting would be urged to “make their own decisions” about whether to use the water.
SEPA would also close its daily water quality signage system at Ayr, should it fail the all important test again next year.
Officials say heavy rainfall, impacting run- off from farmland and local sewage and drainage systems, is to blame for the deterioration.
Vital work is now under way to stave off the impending blow including additional storm tank storage at Belleisle and Drongan.
SEPA also say “enhanced maintenance” will take place on the sewerage network in a bid to reduce spills from drainage systems in Ayr.
Ayr MSP, John Scott, said: “With so much of our local economy dependent on tourism, and with our local beaches playing such a significant part in our tourism offer, it would be very damaging for Ayr’s designation as a Bathing Water to be withdrawn.
“SEPA has identified a range of actions to be taken to help improve bathing water quality, including enhanced maintenance of the sewerage network, fixing local misconnections and a push to get private septic tanks in the area connected into the public sewer
system.
“And I am hopeful that progress can be made towards securing the
improvements that are needed.
“For my own part, I will continue to liaise with Scottish Water over
their plans for our area to improve the local drainage and sewerage infrastructure.”