Council bans walkers from beach dunes
A LOCAL authority has provoked a row after it put up fencing to stop beachgoers from walking on sand dunes.
The barrier has been erected between Royal Sands and Uphill, a popular holiday resort in Weston-super-mare.
North Somerset council said the chestnut paling fence was needed because climate change had accelerated erosion of the dunes. However, critics say it is a “trip hazard” that could injure tourists.
An Environment Agency spokesman said it was “reluctant to use chestnut fencing as it tends to get ripped up and used as barbecue fuel, leaving damaged fencing and twisted wire on the beach”.
They added: “If it does survive, and gets buried in the sand, then the fence becomes a trip hazard and can cause injuries if people fall on to it.”
The council, which is run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens and independents, defended the fencing as necessary because “walking on sand dunes can cause erosion”.
It said it wanted to see if the structure would help “strengthen and stabilise the sand dunes” and people have been asked not to cross it.
The fencing was installed in June as part of a trial and it is hoped it will encourage vegetation with deep roots to grow and stop sand from blowing or washing away. That would benefit wildlife and improve safety for visitors.
This type of fence typically has vertical poles constructed from either chestnut or oak cleft timber and bound together by wire.
The authority refused to say if it had contacted the Environment Agency to discuss its concerns about chestnut fencing.
Weston-super-mare, which has been rated among Britain’s best seaside towns, became a popular holiday resort in Victorian times. It is best known for its Grade II listed Grand Pier and location on the Severn estuary, giving it the second highest tidal range in the world.
In a statement, Annemieke Waite, the executive council member for climate, water and sustainability, said: “Protection of the dunes is important. Without active intervention they will erode and parts of the town will not be protected from flooding, especially as sea levels rising owing to climate change.
“I’d like to thank people in advance for their co-operation while the fencing is installed. I’d also urge everyone to adhere to the signs and barriers in place and to, please, not cross the fencing once in place. This is for your own safety as well as the protection of the sand dunes.”
‘If it gets buried in the sand, then the fence becomes a trip hazard and can cause injuries’