PWLLHELI residents are calling for the town council to make a U-turn on their decision to not pay the £1,188 fee needed to enter the Blue Flag and beach awards in the town.

Gwynedd Council has issued a letter to every town and community council in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd which states that the county’s maritime and parks service are unable to meet the costs towards beach award applications in 2016 due to funding cuts.

Instead, the local authority is now asking for town and community councils to make a contribution towards the applications, done through Keep Wales Tidy, for beaches in their areas.

Pwllheli Marian y De currently holds the blue flag award, which is handed to the beach for its excellent water quality.

To continue to apply for the award each year Pwllheli Town Council would need to pay £732 towards the cost of the application. Pwllheli’s Glan Don beach currently enters the awards for the rural and green coast awards which cost £456 for both applications. A total cost of £1188 for the town council.

However, the Cambrian News reported this week that Pwllheli Town Council came to a decision to not pay for the applications in the future, which would mean Marian y De would lose its blue flag status.

The decision has caused uproar in the community with many calling for the council to reverse their decision and agree to pay the fees for the awards.

Writing on the ‘Pwllheli’ Facebook group, Jane Watkinson said: “Of course it’s worth the fee, and of course people take notice if there’s a blue flag.

“The beach is a major source of income for many of Pwllheli’s small traders.

“How stupid to lose a sign of cleanliness and safety over a £1,100 bill, not even a year of council tax on one property, stupid decision.”

Geraint Jones said: “Yet another blow to tourism on the Llyn, it is obviously clear to everyone by now how little the local council value tourism, and I’m not passing the blame on to Pwllheli Town Council as they don’t have the budget for this.

“I really do despair, what sort of message is this for anyone thinking of investing in the tourism town of Pwllheli and surrounding areas.”

A petition has now been set up calling for the Blue Flag to remain on Marian y De which has received over 130 signatures so far.

Cllr Hefin Underwood, who represents Pwllheli South on Gwynedd Council, says he is also calling for the town council to reverse their decision and pay the application fees.

He said: “I am deeply concerned that the town council do not see the worth in agreeing to a £1,100 fee for the blue flag award.

“Pwllheli depends heavily on its association with the sea and being awarded the blue flag award for our beach should be an honour and not something that is ignored.

“With millions having been spent on developing the sailing academy I cannot make sense why the town council wouldn’t agree to placing the blue flag on Glandon beach, of course that doesn’t mean that Marian y De should not receive the same level of attention.

“I shall be contacting the town council asking them to reverse their decision.”