I am the chair of a sub committee set up by the Falmouth Bay Beaches Management Group which is preparing a bid from the bay area to reapply for Gyllyngvase Beach to regain its Blue Flag status for 2015.

Running parallel to this application are applications for the other three beaches within the bay to gain 'Quality Status' similar to that achieved by Gyllyngvase in 2014.

These 3 beaches have similar criteria to meet in order to receive an award. It will mean that all four beaches in the bay will have national and international recognition of quality and environmental protection.

I would like to reply in part to the article on page nine of last week's Packet. The first line should read "a few or some" dog owners. 

The county has undertaken a programme of improvements to water quality over the last decade which I believe has improved the environment for all beach users. To reintroduce another dog friendly summer use beach within the bay would be a retrograde step. Do any of the people calling for another beach know that there is one available for their use with their dogs. It might mean that the owners would have to walk further to exercise their pets but that might be a good thing.

As you may or may not know the criteria for gaining Blue Flag status are clearly set out and do not make any allowance for pets including dogs to be able to use the beach within the designated times that the blue flag is active.  Hence the current ban. 

Overturning the current restrictions means that all the work currently being undertaken by the volunteers working with the beach managers would have to cease.  The bay's beaches would not have any future recognition of meaningful quality. 

The following current protection could well be withdrawn for the 2015 season:

  • Lifeguards - This could be one of the services that Cornwall Council are discussing with a view to discontinuing as there would be no need to continue the facility.
  • Beach cleaning.
  • Water quality testing.
  • Disabled access facilities. Dog access or Disabled access - who would have my vote?

All of which we now have but no doubt would lose - unless those dog owners that want to change the current status quo are prepared to pay for all these associated costs themselves.  Are they prepared to do that?

They would also have to ensure that there would be no change to the surface presentation of the beach. 

Bruce Hobbs