04/07/23 - I'm pleased to report that as a result of the outrage over the lack of bins on New Quay main beach, the Council have employed a full time operative (from about 10am until 6pm) whose job it is to pick up litter from the beach and empty bins on the sea-front (only certain ones get used and they need emptying more than once a day ...unsurprisingly!)
The guy is sweet and very cheerful, helpful and polite - he is also great at his job; the beach is spotless and i hope he is paid well. However, the town has been quiet so far this year, so i hope he doesn't get overwhelmed in the school holidays. I also wonder about the costs to the taxpayers and would like to think that all the fast-food outlets are contributing to his salary because the vast majority of the litter comes from their customers (some more than others).
Anyway, well done everybody for speaking out and supporting this campaign.
We urge Ceredigion County Council to reverse their decision to remove the waste bins from the beaches in New Quay and to:
a. Provide a large number of robust and more-effective bins that are easily emptied and attended to, while preventing attack by seagulls and scavengers.
b. Place these bins at obvious and numerous points across the beach and harbour area during the peak time, 1 May – 31 September.
c. Provide the resources to ensure the bins are emptied more than once a day in the peak tourism periods.
Why is this important?
Ceredigion County Council have removed all waste bins from the beaches in the picturesque fishing port and popular tourist destination of New Quay, Wales.
It is understood that their intention is to place NO BINS on the beach and instead, use large Grundon-type industrial bins (big, blue, unwieldy and ugly ‘wheelie bins’) placed in the heart of the village on the ‘Cnwc’ – a popular meeting place that has panoramic views and an attendant public telescope.
Last year proved that the system using these blue ‘grundons’ did not work. Such bins were not designed to be placed on sand and as such, when full, could not be moved or emptied by the operatives. Now, the county council has recently bought a van they say is too wide to access the walkway to the beach and attend the bins. But it is understood the council still have the old vehicle that does fit the access road.
Furthermore, despite some take-away outlets being closed during the 2022 Season, the grundon bins failed even to accommodate the reduced amount of waste that was generated during the busy peak times, leading to unsightly mess being seen throughout the village, the harbour and the beaches.
It is thought that the council’s intention this summer is to double the size/number of the grundons from previous seasons but to place them only on the Cnwc viewing area, far away from the beach itself. Apparently, no consideration has yet been given to the re-opening of several food outlets, nor to the physical distance from the beach to these bins. Ultimately, this means that large amounts of litter and food waste will undoubtedly collect on the beaches, encouraging the seagulls to descend and redistribute it with relish. This will further attract more scavengers and perhaps, even vermin.
Rubbish and waste left on the beach will then make its way into sea, causing damage to all ecosystems including those of birds, fish and sea-life, and finally, mammals - which includes seals, porpoises and the local, famous bottle-nosed dolphins.
This ecological 'own-goal' by the County Council should be prevented. Everyone has a responsibility to clear their own litter and recycling but for people to achieve that fully, quickly and effectively, there needs to be a wide network of readily-accessible receptacles that are close-at-hand. Moreover, they also need to be emptied often to prevent overflowing.
New Quay Town Council and Ceredigion County Council need to work quickly and collaboratively towards re-installing such an adequate network of bins which would greatly help ensure the prestigious Blue Flag status returns to New Quay beach. Doing so would mean that the Council is more effectively meeting their obligations to better protect the environment and sea-life, along with local residents and visitors alike.
We, the signatories of this petition, are calling on Ceredigion Council to engage in a more sympathetic and energetic approach to waste disposal as a matter of extreme importance.
We feel that all residents of Ceredigion (if not the wider population of the country), local businesses, the wider Welsh Tourism industry and of course, all visitors from across the UK who care about the environment and who wish to preserve the beauty of such places as Cardigan Bay for future generations, should join with us to insist that the Council overturn their decision immediately.
So PLEASE do the right thing and sign this petition on behalf of the children and families who play on the sand and swim in the sea; for the businesses that depend on visitors coming to New Quay; the residents who live here and most importantly, for the animals and marine wildlife of Cardigan Bay who cannot speak for themselves. We ALL need clean, uncontaminated waters and shores, free from rubbish and pollution.
THANK YOU SO MUCH (and please share the link with your family and friends - especially on social media).
