A FAIRBOURNE woman has reignited calls for a ramp to be reinstalled at the beach.

Hannah Neville found a petition on the issue, first started in 2018 by Cllr Louise Hughes, whilst helping her daughter Skye with a petition to ban plastic toys in magazines.

Hannah said: “My husband, Dave, is the Fairbourne postman. During the spring and summer he often hears from residents how they would like to be able to get on the sand and walk along the tide line. However, they are unable to, due to not being able to negotiate the steep stone bank.

“I know several residents have been working hard to get the ramp reinstalled.

“When the ramp was removed due to lack of upkeep eventually leading to the ramp becoming dangerous, Gwynedd promised to put a ramp back, but they still haven’t.

“They also promised they would draw up plans for a new ramp but again they haven’t.

“From an outsider’s point of view it seems that due to the supposed decommissioning of Fairbourne village in 2050, Gwynedd Council don’t see a need to put the ramp back - but that’s 29 years away!

“It is sad to see residents and holidaymakers stuck up on the sea wall and not being able to enjoy the wonderful therapeutic qualities of feeling the sand and sea beneath their feet.

“A concrete wall and a tarmac path aren’t quite the same!

“With more people across the UK wanting to holiday within the UK surely it makes sense to encourage people to an area of beauty; tourism is a huge part of the North Wales economy.”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “The ramp which had previously been constructed on the pebbled upper foreshore at Fairbourne approximately 40 years ago was prone to significant wave impact.

“The ramp would have affected coastal processes and would in turn have affected the natural longshore drift pattern in this area.

“Although repaired on a number of occasions, it was not unexpected that the ramp was damaged beyond repair by high seas in storm conditions some years ago.

“Given the dynamic nature of the beach and that the natural material forming the upper foreshore provides a natural, albeit fragile coastal storm buffer zone it is not, at present, prudent to consider repositioning a structure on this area of coast. Positioning such a structure on the natural pebble bank could further affect coastal processes and severely affect the natural defence for Fairbourne.”