Agenda item

Cabinet Member – Councillor Nia Jeffreys

 

To submit a report on the above.

 

To accept the report and to note the observations.

 

 

The Assistant Head of Economy and Community and the Maritime Service Manager were welcomed to the meeting.
 

The report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy Operational Matters invited the committee to scrutinise the arrangements for beach management in Gwynedd.

The Cabinet Member set the context and the Assistant Head of Economy and Community elaborated on the content of the report.  Members were then given the opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

With reference to Table 1 in paragraph 5.2 of the report, it was questioned whether the increase in employee costs was due to an increase in overtime pay. In response, it was noted:- 

·         That the expenditure patterns highlighted the immense pressure on the coast over the last 2-3 years which had resulted in extending the period for beach wardens along with paying overtime.

·         That the current permanent structure consisted of only one Senior Beach Officer and one other Beach Officer, and as part of the increase in income, it was proposed to establish two more posts to address the gap, namely a Beach Officer for Meirionnydd and a Beach Officer for Morfa Bychan.

·         Much of the preparation took place over the winter period and it was recognised that the structure needed to be strengthened in that regard.

It was asked whether there was a possibility of a getting a bylaw to give the beach officers powers to fine people who misbehave with cars, etc., on the beach. In response, it was noted:- 

·         That the Service worked closely with the Police, and in particular at Morfa Bychan, which was the only beach in Gwynedd where driving and parking was allowed on the beach.

·         That there were strict rules in place with signs on the beach with the Police and Council logo on them.  Staff walking the beach used body cameras and staff also had cameras in the vehicles, so evidence could be passed on to Police. 

·         That it would be beneficial if the beach officers, particularly the chief officers, had powers to introduce punitive fines for beach offenders, and it was believed that this required guidance from the Legal Department.

It was asked whether beach management was safe from cuts, etc., given that it was a non-statutory service to local government. In response, it was noted:- 

·         Although the service was non-statutory, the field touched on several statutory responsibilities, and although there was uncertainty in terms of the legal framework, it was not believed that neither the Department nor the Service would recommend that there be no responsibility at all, be that as almost a moral responsibility, more than a legal responsibility.

·         There had been previous service interruptions due to the need to secure savings, but unfortunately, it had been observed that not providing a service could lead to problems.

·         That it was a matter for all the members to identify how the Council would respond to the financial challenges, but that the Department was aware of the importance of providing the provision on our beaches.

·         There may be options to make savings without cutting frontline services, and increasing income was one of those options.

It was asked whether it was inevitable that we would move from employing beach wardens to employing lifeguards in the future. In response, it was noted:- 

·         That the Service's risk assessments did not currently recognise lifeguards as a necessary provision.

·         However, the Service would be open to considering any opportunities to extend the provision to include lifeguards, but as it was a professional service, rather than voluntary service, that could be costly.

·         Organisations such as the RNLI provided lifeguards to other authorities in Wales, but they charged a fee.

·         Before considering this type of service, a discussion was needed as to the method of funding. If the concept of a Tourist Tax would be implemented, it could possibly be considered whether this type of provision would be a priority for any income from such a tax. 

·         The answers and solutions were not available at this time, but this was one of the areas that the Service wished to consider over the next couple of years.

It was asked whether it would be possible for the Council to be progressive and refuse to pay the Crown Estate lease as a way of saving money and creating further discussion about the devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales. The following was noted in response:- 

·         That the Council currently had a series of individual agreements along the coast, with part of the coast outside of those agreements.

·         That the Crown Estate had proposed to modify the existing arrangements some years ago, in order to have a single composite agreement along the Gwynedd coast.

·         As part of the initial discussions, the Service highlighted that the completion of such an agreement placed responsibility on the Council, and that costs were also associated with that responsibility.

·         That the Service had identified the area as one that it would be very keen to discuss further, and if the scrutineers had any ideas or recommendations in terms of direction, the officers would be very grateful to receive those comments.

In response to a further question, it was noted that the amount paid by the Council annually to the Crown Estate was a few thousand, but that the exact figure could be confirmed following the meeting.

The officers were asked to confirm that risks were constantly assessed, and responded to circumstances and events, etc., rather than just following a timetable, and that there was action to reduce those risks. The following was noted in response:- 

·         That the Service had risk assessments for every single beach, main resorts as well as rural beaches.

·         That each site had its specific risks, and that there were experienced officers within the Service, who had received thorough training in risk assessment. In addition, a number of Service officers lived locally and also volunteered with the RNLI and Coastguard, and were therefore very much aware of coastal risks. 

·         That the risk assessments were dynamic and living documents, which were renewed at least once a year, and more often than that should there be an incident or change in the nature of a beach, or additional developments that had increased or decreased the risk.

·         That the Service sends out questionnaires, etc., and takes note of the feedback. Weekly and monthly inspections were also carried out, and if staff had realised that new risks had arisen, those documents would be modified at the earliest opportunity.

·         That every beach differed from each other, and that the assessments reflected the characteristics of the individual beaches, having regard to the characteristics of the beach layout and the risks in terms of conflict.

·         That there were boat launching arrangements, etc., on some beaches and that there was a pretty consistent risk assessment for each in terms of individuals getting into difficulty while swimming. As such, there was a fairly practical assessment of the risks for every single beach, identifying mitigation measures.   

·         That there were also risk assessments in terms of the signage schemes for the beaches, with specific signage now for every single beach highlighting the main risks for that location.

·         That measures had been identified at some beaches where information and advice from beach wardens could also be a way of reducing the risks, e.g. an effort has been made to prevent people from entering the water at certain beaches due to the dangers of the location.

It was asked how many people were penalised annually for using jet-skis without a licence. The following was noted in response:- 

·         The number of jet-skis and powerboats in Gwynedd was believed to be very high compared to other authorities and Gwynedd was leading the way with the online registration system, which had led to a significant reduction in the number of complaints and incidents and accidents.

·         That there were several private launch sites in use, e.g. the large caravan sites in Meirionnydd, but the Service worked with the owners of those sites to try and ensure that their customers launching from their sites had registered, and the vast majority did so.

·         The Service did not have powers to issue fines, but new legislation, the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023 came into force on 1 April this year. There was a case of jet-skis causing an accident by acting irresponsibly in the vicinity of Aberdyfi Harbour and officers were working with police to try and secure a prosecution.  

·         That the Coastguard Agency would take the lead on any prosecution sought on the coast.

·         That the whole purpose of the registration system was to identify those driving jet-skis or powerboats irresponsibly so that they could be contacted to inform them that they had breached the rules.

·         That a bylaw prohibited speeds of more than 4 knots per hour within 100 metres of the water's edge. If anyone breached the rule, they could be prosecuted, but to date, no internal fines had been issued to powerboat owners.
 

It was suggested that registration and launching fees for a powerboat / jet-ski should increase quite significantly above inflation next year to generate income for the Council. The following was noted in response:- 

·         That the comment was accepted, and possibly, that consideration would have to be given to raising the fees next year. Fees had already increased significantly over the past 2-3 years and had risen above the level of inflation last year. 

·         That the Service would consider and recommend fees for 2024/25 in the new year.

·         That the increase in fees over the last 2-3 years had created difficult situations at times for front-line staff on the beaches, and if there were to be further fee increases next year, it would be necessary to consider how to get the message out in good time so that people were aware of the increase before coming to the beaches.

It was asked how many powers Cyngor Gwynedd had in terms of ensuring water quality. In response, it was noted:- 

·         That the main destinations were monitored by Natural Resources Wales and that the results would be officially released on 23 November.

·         If officers saw any pollution, or had concerns about a particular site, they would contact Natural Resources Wales directly so they could take samples, etc.

·         Following this, the Council would await any direction from Natural Resources Wales in terms of closing an area off or putting up signs informing the public to stay away.

·         That many sites, including Cricieth and Aberdyfi in Gwynedd were included in Natural Resources Wales’ ‘Forecasting and Discounting’ programme which means that the Council is notified in advance if they believe that the quality of bathing water would be affected, e.g. by heavy rainwater washing material from the streets and down rivers, and so on.

·         Such cases were rarely seen, but if there was concern that any pollution or sewerage had flowed into the sea, the Council would put up signs at those sites to try and discourage people from entering the water.

Concern was raised that raising the fees of watercraft would lead to more people launching them from unofficial sites. A particular problem was cited in the Aberdyfi area, where people were launching from the Borth area and driving over to Aberdyfi outside the Harbourmaster's working hours. The following was noted in response:-   

·         The officers' working hours had been extended and there were barriers on the beaches, such as at Abersoch and Morfa Bychan, after staff left at 8.00pm.

·         Although staff were on duty between 10am and 5pm in most places, they would be asked to stay on if there were many boats and users still on the coast.

·         It was not possible to stop people launching outside working hours and it wasn't possible to close public slipways either as there were people going out fishing for the day, etc.

·         If the fees were deemed too high, there was concern that this could encourage users to go to unofficial sites outside the Council's control, putting pressure on sites and infrastructure not designed to deal with that type of use and reducing the number of registered watercraft.

·         That there were quite good arrangements now, but, in effect, it was a voluntary system in the county, as there were no national statutory arrangements.
 

It was asked how often the safety equipment was inspected. In response, it was noted:- 

·         That the equipment was inspected every two weeks between April and September, and monthly during the autumn and winter months, and that the officers at the main resorts inspected them daily during the main season.

·         That several faulty or vandalised emergency phones were currently out of order, and those phones had been purposely covered.  BT were unable to supply replacements, and it was necessary to consider whether some sites really needed them. 

·         The beach officers carried personal rescue equipment, e.g. safety ropes and rescue buoys, which could be used as emergency mitigation measures, but it was stressed that staff did not have the qualification to enter the water to rescue anyone.

In response to a question, it was confirmed that the Maritime Service had a protocol for responding to severe weather, and that they also assist other departments, particularly in flood situations, etc., by providing vehicles, jet-skis and boats, along with staff qualified to drive them.  It was also confirmed that sea gates were closed at some sites if bad weather was forecasted.

Reference was made to collaboration difficulties with Natural Resources Wales in Dinas Dinlle, and enquiries were made about the nature of the relationship between the Maritime Service and the owners of the land that abutted the beaches. In response, it was noted: 

·         That the Service had a good relationship with the private landowners and site managers parallel to our beaches, and that the relationship with Natural Resources Wales was generally quite good.

·         The National Trust managed sections of the coast and the Service also worked closely with community councils.

·         That the other organisations did not have designated officers for the coast and that any problems arising were dealt with by Maritime Service officers, even on private land.

·         There were specific issues at Dinas Dinlle with campervans parking overnight on sites on Natural Resources Wales land, however Natural Resources Wales officers would rarely take enforcement action.

·         That the Service had an agreement with the owners of several caravan parks to take mitigation measures regarding jet-skis, etc.

In response to a question about how the Service will respond to the challenges in the years ahead, particularly considering the fiscal problems facing us, it was stated:

·         That it was difficult to predict what would happen in the future, and that the Service operated within a specific budget.

·         That the season appeared to be extending and there had been a significant increase in the numbers using our beaches since Covid.

·         That the existing bylaws needed to be updated to address emerging new technology, e.g., the increased use of drones on beaches.

·         That the Service needed to give intensive attention to planning in relation to the coastal risks posed by climate change and had initiated work with Natural Resources Wales on sites such as Dinas Dinlle, Porthmadog, Pwllheli and Fairbourne.

·         Coastal activities were dependent on the slipways and structures that offer flood protection. Many of these structures were outdated and consideration needed to be given to how the Council would also respond to the need to invest in our infrastructure.
 

The Service was thanked for providing a very thorough and full report.

 

RESOLVED to accept the report and to note the observations.