The steps on Whipsidery Beach will be closed to the public

A campaign group fighting to save a beauty spot from a controversial development has accused Cornwall Council of “moving away from the issue”. The Save Whipsidery Cliffs The campaign group fears a plan by Cornwall Council to install a locked gate at the top of the steps to the beach below is just a way of washing its hands of the problem.

The saga over access to the beach has been going on for months. Developers Living Quarter Properties have planning permission to build seven terraced houses above Whipsidery Beach in Porth, Newquay, a site that was previously home to the Paradise Hotel. However, concerns have been raised about the rocks’ instability after they were subjected to three rockfalls over five months.

The site saw a huge landslide on December 19 that sent tons of rock tumbling down the 200-meter cliff and onto the beach below. It came after a previous rockfall less than a month earlier on November 29.

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At the time, The Save Whipsidery Cliffs campaign – which staged protests and even halted work as part of its high-profile opposition to the development – said the cliffs had become “very unstable” and predicted “much more many” will fall.

In April, the developer submitted an application to Cornwall Council to add rock bolts and eyelets to the cliffs to help stabilize them. A report to planners said images from a drone survey showed the cliff face was currently unstable and there was the potential for further landslides if left in its current state.

However, Cornwall Council refused his application after saying that Living Quarters Properties had failed to prove that its controversial cliffside luxury housing development was in fact safe to build.

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The most recent rockfalls have prompted the local authority to close the path that goes to the top of the cliff. Now the Save Whipsidery Cliffs group is concerned that plans to install a locked gate at the top of the steps – albeit for safety reasons – could make access to the beach more dangerous as it will only be accessible at low tide and could see people stuck and unable to exit through the steps.

In a post on their Facebook page, the group said: “We have been advised that Cornwall Council are planning to install a permanent lockable gate at the top of the Whipsidery Steps to prevent public access to the beach on this route .

“Recent rockfalls, which occurred after drilling and excavation, have weakened the rock face, meaning there is a risk of further falls and therefore a risk to public safety. This planned lockable gate is to prevent the public from accessing a potentially hazardous environment. .”

The group added: “While we accept that this closure is in the interests of public safety, we believe that the decision to install a permanent locked gate should not be taken behind closed doors and that there should be a public consultation and include other consultants such as would be the emergency services and the RNLI as it has previously been stated that these steps are a vital way out to prevent tidal disruption.

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“We want the opportunity for Cornwall Council to publicize their plans for the future of this beach and public access. The installation of a locking gate seems to close and move away, leaving the audience robbed of a much-loved asset. .”

Many locals have also expressed concern about the locked gate proposal. On the group’s Facebook page, Naomi Salfield wrote: “This is appalling, with access from both the Porth and Watergate sides, it will be an absolute safety hazard, especially for visitors who may not know that access to the steps would be blocked. be broad and emphatic warning signs about the state of the cliffs and then the risk of rockfall should be a personal choice to make, as it is on the rest of the eroding coast.”

Leah Steward agreed, adding: “It’s understandable to close the steps while the site remains unsafe, but a permanent lockable gate sounds like Cornwall Council washing their hands of Whipsy.

“We want a plan for Whipsy’s future, steps are essential in this. Cornwall Council spent tens of thousands installing nets on the steps in 2014 and again in 2019, against their own coastal policy, because they recognized the importance of keeping the steps open. for public safety. The risk of disruption of the tides has not disappeared more popular than ever”.

Edge Napper added: “This is typical of councils in Cornwall and Newquay. Instead of fixing the problems, just block them. Developers should be required to get everything right and secure, then leave it alone.”

A spokesman for Cornwall Council said the gate was not installed as a permanent arrangement but as a temporary safety feature at the top of the council-owned steps leading down to the beach.

They added: “The steps have been closed for safety reasons with temporary fencing in place since a rock fall at the end of November. Unfortunately people have moved the fence so the gate is put back in place to discourage people from using steps to access the beach and potentially putting themselves and others at risk.

“The steps will have to remain closed for the foreseeable future while the rock falls persist and the unstable pile of debris at the base of the cliff remains in situ. Natural processes will eventually erode and remove this material, allowing for a more detailed assessment of stability, however at present there is a high potential for further rock falls.

“We have already consulted with both the RNLI and the coastguard on the move to install the gate. Emergency services will be able to access the steps. The advice is to please stay away from the rocks and be aware that with the steps closed there is a risk of being cut off by the wave if you walk along the beach from Porth to the Watergate.’