Council discusses lack of disabled access to Bamburgh beach

The lack of disabled access to Bamburgh beach has been highlighted by parish councillors.
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The issue has been investigated in the past by Bamburgh Castle Estates but parish councillors believe there is no solution in sight.

Cllr Andy Bardgett said: “We have looked at disabled access to the beach and it is very difficult and it depends on Bamburgh Castle Estates because it is their land.”

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He was responding to a question by local resident Judy Cowen at the council’s August meeting on whether any progress has been made on the issue.

Bamburgh Castle.Bamburgh Castle.
Bamburgh Castle.
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Barbara Brook, parish council chairman, added: “Access to the beach has been on on-going issue for many years.”

She explained that a route down by the hut had been mooted some years ago but understood that there were difficulties with erosion and shifting sands.

"We were told that, whatever you put in, it wouldn’t last for any length of time,” she said.

Bamburgh beach and dunes.Bamburgh beach and dunes.
Bamburgh beach and dunes.
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"I think it’s awful that we can’t manage to get disabled access to the beach.

"It’s a big thing for pushchairs as well because you see people labouring down trying to carry them and push them and you feel sorry for them.”

Cllr Bardgett noted that disabled beach access would be difficult along the whole of the three mile stretch between Bamburgh and Seahouses.

He continued: “It’s the nature of the countryside that it isn’t disabled friendly. You can’t get through the dunes. That doesn’t help but it’s the reality of it.

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"Some beach resorts have a promenade and put a big ramp down on to an area of hard sand where they can obviously provide access but we don’t have anything like that. The car park by the hut isn’t even very disabled-friendly – you’d struggle to get a wheelchair through there.

"You’ve got to get something on to hard sand and I can’t see that being popular, building a causeway out into the middle of the beach.”

Cllr Brook admitted: “The situation hasn’t changed, unfortunately.”

There is disabled access to Beadnell beach from the car park.

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