Agenda item

Statement:

We the undersigned petition the council to perform a clean up and necessary maintenance of the Harbour Beach below Torry Battery, where littering and flytipping has reached an unacceptable level.

Justification:

Something must be done regarding the amount of litter at the harbour beach/coastal path below Torry Battery. Not only can litter be found on the beach itself, but large amounts of household waste appear to dumped down the side of the cliff from the road above.

Many people regularly enjoy visiting this beautiful area of the city to watch the local wildlife. At weekends the beach is always busy with photographers, dog walkers, young people and families. Considering the numerous health benefits of spending time outdoors, this area is an invaluable asset to the local community.

Excessive litter is not just an eyesore but dangerous to the people and pets who enjoy this beach. Litter poses a significant threat to the environment and marine wildlife, particularly seabirds. It's also unacceptable that children should have to play and rock-pool amongst empty beer cans and other waste.

Few cities can boast such an excellent dolphin watching spot so close to its centre – something Aberdeen City Council is seriously undervaluing. Aberdeen has huge potential to attract wildlife tourism; if only it’s natural spaces were given the attention and protection from vandalism that they deserve.

I propose the following measures to be undertaken:

An initial intensive clean up of litter by council staff AND invitation to the general public to help. People putting in hard work will be less likely to litter or to tolerate others doing so;

Following this, regular litter collecting by the council to avoid the beach getting in such a bad state again;

Improved waste collection services in the local area if this is the root cause of the fly tipping;

Additional bins on the beach itself and not just in the car park;

Signage prohibiting fly tipping and explaining it to be a chargeable offence;

Improved signage showcasing the fantastic wildlife which can be seen in the area;

Closing up of the stone shelter opposite the car park which encourages antisocial behaviour;

Education of local school children in Torry as to the effects of littering on marine wildlife, drawing special attention to their local harbour beach; and

General maintenance/leveling of the paths leading down to the beach and around the base of the cliff. This will make it safer and more accessible to all.

The Committee had before it the following petition which had been submitted by Ms Apithanny Bourne:-

“We the undersigned petition the council to perform a clean up and necessary maintenance of the Harbour Beach below Torry Battery, where littering and fly tipping has reached an unacceptable level”.

“Something must be done regarding the amount of litter at the harbour beach/coastal path below Torry Battery.  Not only can litter be found on the beach itself, but large amounts of household waste appear to dumped down the side of the cliff from the road above.

Many people regularly enjoy visiting this beautiful area of the city to watch the local wildlife.  At weekends the beach is always busy with photographers, dog walkers, young people and families.  Considering the numerous health benefits of spending time outdoors, this area is an invaluable asset to the local community.

Excessive litter is not just an eyesore but dangerous to the people and pets who enjoy this beach.  Litter poses a significant threat to the environment and marine wildlife, particularly seabirds.  It's also unacceptable that children should have to play and rock-pool amongst empty beer cans and other waste.

Few cities can boast such an excellent dolphin watching spot so close to its centre – something Aberdeen City Council is seriously undervaluing.  Aberdeen has huge potential to attract wildlife tourism; if only it’s natural spaces were given the attention and protection from vandalism that they deserve.

I propose the following measures to be undertaken:

- An initial intensive clean up of litter by council staff AND invitation to the general public to help.  People putting in hard work will be less likely to litter or to tolerate others doing so;

- Following this, regular litter collecting by the council to avoid the beach getting in such a bad state again;

- Improved waste collection services in the local area if this is the root cause of the fly tipping;

- Additional bins on the beach itself and not just in the car park;

- Signage prohibiting fly tipping and explaining it to be a chargeable offence;

- Improved signage showcasing the fantastic wildlife which can be seen in the area;

- Closing up of the stone shelter opposite the car park which encourages antisocial behaviour;

- Education of local school children in Torry as to the effects of littering on marine wildlife, drawing special attention to their local harbour beach; and

- General maintenance/levelling of the paths leading down to the beach and around the base of the cliff.  This will make it safer and more accessible to all.”

The Convener explained the process and invited the lead petitioner to present her case to the Committee.

Ms Apithanny Bourne spoke to the petition by way of presentation and advised that Harbour Beach was a valuable asset for promoting physical and mental wellbeing and was a popular destination for a variety of activities and was also the location of RSPB’s Dolphin Watch.  Ms Bourne highlighted the lack of bins on the beach and raised her concern about the build up of litter and household waste which was unsightly, unhygienic and could damage the marine environment.  Further to this, she suggested a number of improvements that could be introduced to tackle the root causes of littering and highlighted the importance of educating young people and raising awareness amongst the general population on what actions needed to be undertaken to increase the cleanliness of Harbour Beach and its surrounding area.

Steven Shaw, Environmental Manager explained that addressing the littering problem on the Coastal Walk was a constant issue and highlighted his concern about the level of anti-social behaviour and drinking on the beach.  Mr Shaw explained that he had met with various partners including the City Rangers and Torry Community Council to promote the location and maintain its cleanliness; and highlighted that the Council was a partner with RSPB’s Dolphin Watch. 

Mr Shaw advised that resources were spread thin due to the scale of the littering along the Coastal Walk but informed members that there were plans to introduce more strategically placed bins and they were investigating the possibility of installing Bigbelly bins which could hold more litter and were bird proof; but they would have to consider the health and safety implications for Council staff who would be responsible for retrieving and emptying the bins a significant distance from the beach.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note the petition;

(ii)        to instruct officers to investigate the greater use of unpaid work teams through Community Service Orders to help the local community to clean and maintain Aberdeen Harbour Beach;

(iii)       to instruct officers to liaise with the City Wardens with regards to reducing anti-social behaviour and with the Ranger Service to co-ordinate the maintenance of cleanliness on Aberdeen Harbour Beach;

(iv)       to request that officers arrange a meeting with the petitioner to discuss further options for cleaning and maintaining Aberdeen Harbour Beach;

(v)        to agree to take no action otherwise on the petition; and

(vi)       to thank the petitioner for an excellent and informative presentation.