Hastings Beach should be cleaned all year by the council

From: Chris Williams, Kenilworth Road, St Leonards
West St Leonards beach. Picture by Justin Lycett SUS-190129-143155001West St Leonards beach. Picture by Justin Lycett SUS-190129-143155001
West St Leonards beach. Picture by Justin Lycett SUS-190129-143155001

I regularly beach clean from Bo Peep to Rock-a-Nore with sporadic further cleans from the Blue Reef Aquarium out to Fairlight Glen.

I also regularly attend the monthly Hastings Beach Clean organised by two locals on behalf of the MCS on the first Saturday of every month along Bottle Alley – the amount of litter they collect is both astounding and saddening.

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Our beaches are kept clean by those of us who care enough to actively go to the beach and pick up the washed up string, rope and plastics and the left behind take away boxes and lager cans.

By doing this marine life – fish, seals, crabs, lobsters, whales and octopus – are that little bit safer and our beaches that little bit cleaner. But surely it this responsibility should be shared with our local council, especially in a town where fishing is such a crucial local industry?

In light of the current media attention around plastic pollution and ocean conservation, I find it disappointing Hastings Borough Council continue to fund cleaning the beach during the tourist season only – May to September. Plastic pollution is very much on the public agenda, why is it not therefore on our local council’s agenda?

There is a wonderful yet small community of like-minded caring people who acknowledge the damage human behaviour – careless disposal of litter – causes to the oceans and animals.

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I just wish more people realised your council tax does not pay for beach cleaning.

The council subcontract out this responsibility during the tourist season only for the benefit of tourists, not out of motivation to preserve the oceans or support the local fishing industry.