By Joe McCann
COUNCILLORS have backed the purchase of a £125,000 beach cleaning machine against the advice of their officers.
The decision is the latest instalment in a long-running conflict between councillors and officials over whether beaches in the borough should be cleaned or left unaltered.
Official council policy is that beaches should not be mechanically cleaned and that seaweed should be allowed to build up naturally, even if there is a problem with smell or flies.
However, some councillors, particularly Ards peninsula politician Robert Adair, have argued the beaches look bad and members of the public are regularly complaining. The issue came to a head earlier this year when an infestation of rats occurred on Millisle to such an extent the council had to use poison to eradicate them.
In a bid to identify the practice of other councils in Northern Ireland, a series of visits were made to beaches on the Causeway coast and in Newry, Mourne and Down Council.
A report presented to the Environment Committee on Wednesday stated that only Portrush’s East Strand beach used mechanical cleaning but only for the removal of litter, not seaweed. Other beaches, including White Rocks, also at Portrush, along with Cranfield and Tyrella beaches, in County Down, did not use mechanical cleaning, in line with the current policy of Ards and North Down Council.
The council report stated: “Evidence gained from these visits would lead officers to the conclusion that beach maintenance in neighbouring areas is in line with the approach applied by Ards and North Down when considered against legislative requirements.”
The report noted that the cost of a new mobile bio-cleaning unit would cost the council a total of £125,000; around £55,000 for setting up the unit and building infrastructure for it and around £70,000 for the new beach cleaning vehicle itself. Other expected costs also included staffing and vehicle maintenance costs.
At the end of the report, council officers advocated for a continued educational approach to teach residents about the environmental benefits of not mechanically removing seaweed and planting marram beach grass.
The report stated: “The educational approach is essential to overcome the misconception that beaches that contain seaweed or coastal grasses are not clean or safe.”
However, the committee members backed an amendment put forward by Mr Adair who said a balance needed to be struck between environment protection and keeping beaches clean.
He proposed the beach cleaning machine should be purchased. Unionists backed Mr Adair’s motion with Alliance voting against. The amendment was carried by eight votes to three with three abstentions.
The decision will now be considered by a meeting of the full council before it can be implemented.
