Beach Business - Sewage and Litter

Gower is host to over fifteen separate beaches and coves that spread around the entire peninsula. From the three-mile long sands of Rhossili; a beach that graces nearly every postcard scene of Gower, to the solitary, hidden coves of Mewslade and Fall Bay. Clicking on the map below will direct you to enjoygower.com's outline of the coastline, which highlights some of the larger beaches:

Current 'Blue Flag' beaches include: Bracelet Bay; Langland Bay and Caswell Bay.

While such natural coastline and beaches exist, so too do the various issues surrounding them. Indeed most of the major issues concerning Gower involve the coastline, such as sand dredging (which is discussed elsewhere on this site). And in researching material for this blog, it was evident that the quality and future of the beach environments around Gower tend to be one of the main concerns for local residents. This can be seen to be due to numerous reasons, some of which will be briefly highlighted below before being analysed in more detail in further blogs:

Sewage:

Sewage and sea quality has been an area of debate for many years, with campaign groups such as Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) being set up to monitor the impact of sewage on sea quality at various locations around Britain and the Channel Islands. Gower has seen much activity within this campaign due to not only the beaches that are popular surfing locations such as Llangennith and Langland, but also because of increasing concerns in the area that sea pollution is worsening. There are numerous reasons for this fear, namely the fact that Swansea Bay in particular has seen much controversy regarding its pollution levels throughout the years. Such pollution fears welcome discussion into the various causes and solutions, yet while most of these centre around arguments on a wider scale, I want to present a few ideas and suggestions about what you can do if beaches are your business.

• Beach cleans: taking part in a beach clean is a simple yet effective way to tackle the problem first hand and now is the time to be doing it. While the days start to get warmer and more people flock to beaches such as Langland and Caswell, it is the ideal time to rid the beaches of winter rubbish. Like most beaches in the UK, Langland and Caswell aren't cleaned over the winter, and due to the strong onshore winds, both beaches are often full of litter and debris by the time summer comes around. On the last clean at Langland, 13 items of litter per metre were counted. By helping out at a beach clean and dedicating just a few hours of your day, you can know that you are directly helping out, while possibly gaining a bit of a tan in the meantime. The next beach clean at Langland will be on April 27th 2008 starting at 11am but if you can't make this one, there is nothing stopping you and a group of friends initiating a clean on any other day.
• Plastic bag campaigns. In Pembrokeshire a local campaign to rid the beaches of plastic bags has been incredibly successful, with hundreds of volunteers dedicating their time to picking up the plastic. Similar campaigns are apparently underway in Swansea and Gower. I will put further information about proposed clean-ups when I find out more.

In the meantime, please visit the Marine Conservation Society for more information about litter, pollution, and its impacts, and also suggestions for how you can get involved with the various campaigns.

Proposed Hotel Development

"Plans for £8m hotel complex for Gower": 06/02/2008

There are currently plans to construct a £8million hotel and spa development at Fairwood. The plans, if approved, will result in a transformation of the current Fairwood Park Golf Club and see it turned into a 42-room four star hotel. It has been claimed that it will create up to fifty full and part-time jobs. It is hoped that the development will be completed in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup in the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.

While this all may seem an attractive prospect, the results of such a development have to be considered, beyond the immediate advantages. It would of course result in the creation of various jobs, however with job opportunities and tourists come increased traffic and the possibility of further accidents on what is already a notorious 'hot spot'. The roads around Gower, particularly in the Fairwood area, are simply not designed for the amount of traffic that such a resort would undoubtedly create.

As more tourists flock to Gower annually, the single carriageway struggles to contain the amount of vehicles, which has recently resulted in a dramatic increase in road accidents. It is also now a regular occurrence to take an hour to get from one side of Gower to another in the summer months, primarily due to the amount of caravans, campervans, horse boxes, and other vehicles that take over the roads. If the hotel development comes to fruition, then there is little doubt that the roads will be affected and that, potentially, more lives could be at risk. The inset photographs were taken during May at various locations down Gower and highlight the numerous traffic hotspots around Gower, such as Parkmill and Fairwood Common which are used by numerous vehicles - and pedestrians - daily. If such a hotel development were to be approved, there is no doubt that the roads would struggle to cope with the increased amount of traffic. There has been no further information in the local news or on the internet regarding the hotel development, and there appears to be little indication as to when any decision will be made.

Sand Dredging: in the news

The following are relatively recent news reports concerning sand dredging from various publications:

Photo courtesy of BBC

"Firms Aim to Double Sand Dredging": (08/08/2007)
This is the BBC's report regarding how three dredging companies aim to double the amount of sand currently being dredged from the south Wales coastline.
The companies involved are currently allowed to remove up to 900,000 tonnes annually from Porthcawl but are seeking to change this to 1.8m tonnes at a new location from Carmarthen Bay and west Gower.
Spokespeople from the companies claim that there is no scientific evidence that dredging contributes to sand erosion, however while there remains a significant reduction in sand levels throughout Gower, it would seem plausible to presume that there is some degree of correlation.

When researching information for this blog, it was relatively hard to come across relevant articles. My first port of call was the South Wales Evening Post, which I thought - given the proximity to Gower and its surrounding areas - that it would dedicate a large degree of information to the sand dredging cause. Instead, what I discovered was merely a handful of pieces skirting over what is undoubtedly a principle concern to numerous residents and citizens of Swansea. The above news article from the BBC was not covered by the Evening Post, and I find it perturbing to think that the dominant local press failed to include any mention of what could potentially be a major environmental issue concerning south Wales. I also struggle to find justification for the fact that such issues are not covered in more detail. While this can welcome numerous debates surrounding the newsworthiness of the issues at hand, it cannot be contested that the Evening Post in particular appears to relish in coverage of local concerns, which is apparent through the continual inclusion of community resistance against potential supermarket expansions, and the ongoing leisure centre fiasco, for example. So while it seems that local concerns are often of importance to the local media, then indeed it can be questioned as to why sand dredging commands such few news items. This is an issue that concerns an entire region - not just an isolated community - and is a debate that has resulted in growing resistance over the years. Indeed it has been of enough importance to warrant numerous websites - including this one! - which aim to propose its significance. While such apparent ignorance exists, there is fear that an issue that is of major concern to the majority of Gower residents will simply not get the coverage that allows for free and open discussion in order to enable the Gower community to be fully aware of the situation.

Since the BBC covered the article about the proposed dredging increase, there has been no follow up information to indicate the outcome of any decision.

"Protecting Perfection": The Gower Society looks back at 60 years to save the Peninsula from Developers" (04/03/2008)
While there is generally little information regarding the current environmental and political situation down Gower, the Evening Post did dedicate a feature article covering the work of The Gower Society on 4th March 2008.
The article was primarily concerned with the historical background to the society, however it did touch upon issues such as sand dredging and how they are regarded by various members of the society.
It would appear that while it is commendable that the Post chooses to cover the crucial work of The Gower Society and also mentions some of the pivotal issues covered on this website, it brings me to question why, when it is clear that such issues are known by organisations such as The Gower Society and are being dedicated a full feature in the Evening Post, such a colour feature takes precedent over news reporting. Rather than including news items concerning sand dredging, the proposed hotel development, the demise of farming and agriculture, and the current state of tourism, The Post instead seems to gloss over such issues in favour of providing a rather woolly account of life down Gower. Indeed one of my major concerns regarding the situation down Gower is the apparent lack of support from local media. Through researching online, it became evident that articles covered by the BBC, such as the one above contained little or no mention in the Evening Post. While this blog does not aim to attack the local press, it does appear strange that the Post seemingly does not dedicate much coverage to issues that are deemed significant enough for the national press.
One can only hope that coverage such as the Protecting Perfection article, irrespective of its accuracies or detail, does raise awareness in some shape or form.

Older News Reports:
"Gower Sand Dredging 'Betrayal'" - BBC News 15th October 2003

Sand Dredging

Sand dredging is one of the main environmental and political issues presently concerning Gower. This is a brief overview of what sand dredging entails, and the current opinions surrounding it.

Photo courtesy of Llanelli Sand Dredging

What is dredging?
Sand dredging has been occurring for many years down Gower and involves a process whereby dredging ships with suction pipes act similarly to vacuum cleaners in order to literally 'suck' the sand from the sand banks along the coast. After dredging from coastal regions such as Gower, the sand is sold onto the open market whereby 30% is shipped overseas to places such as The Netherlands, which forbid dredging from their own coastlines. Generally speaking, the greater the amount of sand extracted, the greater the profit for the dredging companies and their shareholders.
However while dredging exists, so too do the voices of opposition, and most recently over 30,000 people signed a petition calling for its reduction.

What is happening down Gower?
Dredging is occurring primarily at the Helwick Bank down Gower, which is a sand bank that was created during the ice-age and runs between Port Eynon and Worm's Head, off the coast of Rhossili. Since the dredging originated - in 1964 - there is now evidently far more rock exposed than there is sand, which is particularly present on beaches such as Port Eynon, however is also starting to become evident at other parts of the coastline such as at Langland Bay, and Swansea Bay. It is widely feared that once this sand disappears, it is unlikely to be replaced, yet while many accept that a certain amount of sand dredging is necessary, it is largely the amount that is being extracted that is causing controversy.

Implications:
Environmental:
Dredging undoubtedly results in the degradation of unique marine habitats, which directly affects the local marine life and indirectly affects the birds and other wildlife that rely on the natural and delicate infrastructure. A concise overview of some of the implications of sand dredging can be found here.
The extent of the dredging occurring has led to some environmentalists, such as Dr Neil Price from Cardiff University, referring to the actions as "gross environmental vandalism."
(Full interview with Dr. Price can be found elsewhere on this site.)

What campaigners want:
Campaigners are calling for a ten mile commercial dredging exclusion zone around Gower's coastline. This has been proposed as organisations such as Gower SOS claim that Gower risks losing its "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" title unless immediate action is taken.
Furthermore, the possible impact of sand dredging on the tourist industry is proposed as sandy beaches such as Port Eynon - for which Gower is particularly famed - continue to evolve into rocky coastline. Various campaigners also state that there has been a rapid decline in tourist employment and activity since the 1980s, which they claim can be directly attributed to sand dredging.

The following is a video by Gower Save our Sands highlighting their cause:

For more information on sand dredging:
- Llanelli Sand Dredging
- Marinet Marine Aggregate Dredging
- Gower Save Our Sands
- Sand Dredging from Helwick Bank
- Dredging in Coastal Waters Book
- National Trust 'Shifting Shores' Report