Bid to restore sandy beach at top seaside resort in Wales that was replaced with giant rocks fails despite pleas from campaigners that it is damaging tourism

A bid to restore a sandy beach that was replaced with ‘giant rocks’ has failed after fears were raised that the plan would involve ‘chopping down tropical trees’. 

Thousands of people in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North Wales were calling on the Welsh government to remove 50,000 tonnes of quarry rock that were dumped on the shore in 2014 as it is damaging tourism. 

A petition signed by more than 10,000 people called for the beach to be covered in sand and groynes put in as a sea defence system. 

But in a debate at the Welsh parliament on Wednesday, climate change minister Julie James resisted the plans, blaming deforestation. 

She said a new sandy beach at Llandudno would involve ‘chopping down more tropical trees from the other side of the world’ to create the new groynes, North Wales Live reported. 

A loss of EU funding due to Brexit and pressure on the finances of local governments have also been cited as reasons why the plans can not go ahead. 

But critics have claimed that the quarry rock – initially put down to bolster the seaside resort’s flood defences – has ruined Llandudno’s tourism industry. 

Speaking in the debate on Wednesday, Conservative Senedd Member (MS) Tom Giffard said tourism in the town had reverted back to 2008 levels, with a ‘notable decrease’ following the 2014 beach transformation.  

The petition started by town councillor Ian Turner last year, stated: ‘In 2014 Conwy County Borough Council dumped a further 50,000 tonnes of oversized and untested quarry rocks onto North Shore. This action destroyed the beach.

‘Access for many is almost impossible, and dangerous if people try. It’s a blight on the landscape, and detrimental to our main economy tourism.’

North Wales MS Llyr Gruffyd has stressed the need to protect 5,500 businesses in Llandudno and said that the seaside resort just ‘doesn’t feel right’ without a golden beach.

Sea levels in Llandudno are expected to rise by nearly 4ft over the next hundred years and the Welsh Government has put aside £288m to fund 15 sea defence schemes across the country. 

The campaign to replace the beach with sand has been supported by member of the Welsh parliament Janet Finch-Saunders who asked for it to be reconsidered. 

She has described the new rocky beach as a ‘complete eyesore’ and ‘completely inaccessible to children’. 

Ms Finch-Saunders added: ‘Tourism is a very important industry here providing much employment and boosts our local economy by over £888 million.’

In a previous call for people to support the petition she said: ‘If you want to see those horrible boulders removed from our beach please sign the petition.

‘With boulders on the beach, people are unable to enjoy using the foreshore like they used to. It is dangerous, and inaccessible to many.

‘One of the UK’s leading destinations, and the Queen of Welsh Resorts deserves a sandy beach.’