Tourists and locals furious as historic beach 'disappears' under Labour council's watch

Fury has erupted in a British seaside town after residents and tourists alike accused its council of letting its beach "disappear".

Locals and councillors in Southport are at odds on whether to introduce measures to preserve the historic sands.

Southport's beaches have been an attraction for years - and have even been the site of land speed records - but fears are now rising the seafront is going to waste.

Over the years sand and sediment has built up on the beach, with moss and vegetation now spreading across the tourist spot.

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Sunni Patel, 49, a tourist visiting the town from Bolton, told the Liverpool Echo: "We were struggling to find the beach because of all the grass."

"They could definitely make it a bit more beach-y," she added.

And 37-year-old local Lauren Brown said: "If they let vegetation in it's not the best beach. There isn't much here at the moment, and you can't go out very far."

Another local on Facebook said: "Southport is a Victorian seaside town and we should really have a proper beach."

Opposition councillors on Sefton Council put forward a proposal to preserve the remaining sands.

Green councillor Neil Doolin pushed the motion, which read: "Southport's beach and pier form the natural focus of one of the town's main visitor routes, stretching from Chapel Street railway station to the Victorian promenade, associated pier, lake, gardens and tourist attractions and on to the coast and beach.

"It is an area with a coherent identity which works together as a key part of Southport's local and visitor economy."

The motion added the beach and seafront are an area that are "widely used and valued" by local walkers and cyclists.

Southport is also home to a famous, if neglected pier - a "key reason" to visit the area, according to the motion.

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The town's historic pier dates back to 1860, but has been closed since 2022 as a result of structural damager.

But it is now undergoing restoration backed by a £20million investment from the Government.

"The Green Party believes it would be a great loss if the last remaining area of seafront sand at Southport was allowed to disappear without a serious effort to save it," the motion added.

But Sefton Council has shot the proposals down, with 25 votes for and 32 Labour councillors voting against.

Its cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, Joanne Williams, said at the meeting: "The council recognises that the entire coastline of Sefton is constantly changing, has been for thousands of years, and that this will continue, despite any interventions.

"The beach is not only a visitor attraction, but a site of special scientific interest, and as such, any interventions now or in the future would require the consent of Natural England. It's not within the council’s power to pre-approve or to commit otherwise to any works or improvements without due consultation."

And Labour councillor Catie Page said there were other beaches for sand in the area.

A Sefton Council spokesman said: "The natural accretion of the coast at Southport means that the sandy beach, rather than disappearing, is moving further out to sea. The salt marsh has grown where it used to be, and this has been going on for centuries.

"The salt marsh is a more effective carbon sink than woodland and also acts as a natural, self-sustaining sea defence. It also has a beauty in its own right that is often of interest to 'eco-tourists' and people interested in exploring natural habitats. Its role in supporting biodiversity also attracts a host of plants and animals, including both breeding and wading birds.

"There are recorded attempts to 'clear' the beach over previous decades, all of which have been costly and unsuccessful.

"We are investing heavily in driving economic growth for Southport and Sefton as a whole, with projects underway including the £20million restoration of Southport Pier and construction of the Marine Lake Events Centre, which will attract more than 600,000 new visitors each year."

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