Where's the Beach Cleaning Equipment?

[Susan2]

Hi,

Great to see entertainment being organised on the Promenade again.

Golden Days fun is not far away and the beach will feature in the events.
Deck chairs, pony rides, sandcastle competitions, kite flying, etc.

Will the beach cleaning equipment be back in use before this or still stuck in Russell Road repair shop?
After a winter of money saving by not cleaning the beach there should be plenty of money in the kitty to provide this much needed service.

The Promenade could also do with a brush up too, it's hard to guess where the beach finishes and the Prom starts.

Susan

[Susan]

[Susan]

[rbrtwlkr]

[Susan]

[Susan]

Hi,

What a lovely weekend.

The Promenade and Beach were well used by many people.

Some tidier than others! Monday morning and all the litter bins were full and overflowing!

..........and the Beach, one poor man with a garden rake trying hard to tidy it! (There's a film called that - Mission Impossible!)
Is it an impossible mission to have the right equipment on hand for the duration of the summer?


The wee sweeper machine was doing it's bit on the Prom though and there was another man with a brush and barrow doing a great job in Bath Street!

A few years ago the bins used to be emptied twice a day, once in the morning and once about 4.30pm - there was less litter strewn about when there was somewhere to deposit it. Maybe a return to that system would help.

Well done to those who were tidying up - you all had your work cut out today!

Susan

[Guest]

I understand that the problem recently has had more to do with lack of staff rather than faulty machinery. However, extra staff have been taken on recently and moves are afoot to introduce a new shift system that will result in better weekend cover. As I think I've mentioned before, we plan to give Robert Davidson, our Task Force Manager, his own section on the website. In the meantime you can email him at:

robert.davidson@edinburgh.gov.uk

I would be grateful if you could post any replies on the board that you think may be of interest to others.

[Susan]

Hi,

Thanks for the reminder about Robert Davidson.

I don't think he was having staffing problems - the guy with the rake usually drives the tractor and operates the beach cleaning equipment!

I think there was a problem with the mechanical rake.

Susan

[rbrtwlkr]

HI susan

you saw guy with rake at beach last week as he sweep litters futhuer from the sea wall for the equipment to uplifted them as he like clean and tidy up the beach as he loves his work at prom
robert

[Guest]

Robert

I just wanted to say that we all appreciate the work you guys do on the beach. The beach looks so much better when it is free of litter. If we are going to achieve this Seaside Award then keeping the beach clean is going to be very important. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Bob

[rbrtwlkr]

hi bob

thank you and i would like know when the award start looking which best beach in uk?
robert

[Gemini]

Hi Robert,

Just to also say that you guys do make a great job of keeping the beach clean and tidy, I normally walk along there just after it's been cleaned and it looks beautiful. You all work very hard and its very much appreciated by the people of Portobello.

[Carol]

[Gemini]

[Carol]

Oh, I didn't know about all that. I thought it was just the sewage in the sea water but if "all that" is going on as well then no matter how clean the beach is, it will never get an award. That doesn't sound too good atall.

[Susan]

Hi,

A couple of things I would like to add. The water quality is checked every week and meets EEC standards.

The coal dust has been appearing every year especially when we have a high tide. It is said that this comes from the old mine shafts which get flooded at high tide and the water washes it back to the beaches along the coast.

The only time there are bad readings, so many allowances are made under the EEC rules, is when there is flash flooding and the overflow pipes from the Sir Harry Lauder Road,etc, empty into the sea.

The orange deposit sometimes seen has also been checked and is a healthy sign of algae, according to Forth Ports Authority who had it analyised after concerns were raised locally.

When we have lifeguards, toilets, shower facilities and first aid post we will then be in line for a Flag Award which Cllr. Perry assured us at a meeting in 1995 in the Indoor Bowling Centre would be in place by 1998.

Susan

[Gemini]

Hi Susan,

Was interesting to learn what the criteria for awards are. How normal that we have not attained the promised flag award although promised in 1995 by Cllr Perry/Berry which one was it? Can we really expect to ever be awarded the flag satus when important lifesaving criteria such as lifeguards and first aid facilities are not in place and won't be in the forseeable future (unless anyone know's diffrently?) as for the showers and toilet facilities.....

I was also interested to learn that there was overflow pipes from the Harry Lauder Road in place for flash flooding!
Another something for we residents to look into (pardon the pun).

To sum up then : do we think that Portobello Beach will ever gain the coveted Flag Award when it means that the council will have to fork out our money to implement the necessary conditions to be able to achieve it!
I would have thought even without the flag award there should be some safety measures in place, especially in the summer months when so many children are playing at the water's edge and even swimming!
but hey people's safety and their other issues have never been a major issue with the powers that are at the moment! and obviously not with the previous Cllr.

[Carol]

So, the way things are just now, no matter how clean the Beach and Prom are kept, without these other facilities, it will never get an award.

More toilets would be a good start then. I've noticed there are now three different boards all discussing the shortage of toilet facilities and the problems resulting from that.

1 This one

2 Public Toilets in Portobello - good suggestions and informative

3 Building at the Foot of Bath Street - page 6 or 7, it is suggested
that the developer of the modern building helps out.

Appearing on three boards, highlights a problem.

[Susan]

[Guest]

[Susan]

[rbrtwlkr]

[Susan]

[Guest]

Interesting conversation with Task Force Manager, Robert Davidson this morning, which I thought I would pass on. The beach cleaning equipment as you all know has been dogged with mechanical problems for many years. My understanding is that these machines were never intended for beach cleaning in the first place and the company that manufactured them has gone bust, meaning that spare parts have to be machined from scratch. To make matters worse, they are the subject of some ridiculous lease-back arrangement.

The good news is that Robert has persuaded his bosses to hire a proper beach cleaning machine for the next 6 months and should take delivery of a Barber Surf Rake on Thursday. If the machine proves to be successful the company is prepared to deduct the hire price from the cost of purchase, around £40,000. This seems a small price to pay to keep Edinburgh's seaside clean but there is no guarantee that the funding will be found. Support and pressure from the public can play a big part in these budget decisions. If you feel the new machine is an improvement then you can help the cause by sending emails and letters to this effect to your local representatives and to Consumer and Environmental Services.

In the meantime you can find more info on the new machine at:

www.hbarber.com/Cleaners/SurfRake/ModelsOptions.aspx

We hope to get Robert's monthly report up and running in the near future.

[james]

hi

i just hope no more rakes break down because it will start adding up&up
in moneyand the council will not have them out as much as usaul
from james

[rbrtwlkr]

Hi
we got hire barber rake machine for 6 months and hopefully council agree and buy it as it look better than old ones

robert

[Carol]

The beach has taken on a whole new look. From my top flat window, it looks level and clean and walking on the newly raked sand early this morning confirmed that.

What a difference in only a few days.

The green machine must stay!

[Susan]

Hi Everyone,

Isn't it great to see the beach all levelled out and clean again!

The new machine certainly does a great job.

Lots of positive comments from all the visitors and local people about the beautiful clean beach.

We even had a seal checking it out yesterday!

Susan

[Carol]

That would be the seal of approval!

[rbrtwlkr]

hello everyone

it seem everyone like clean beach with new rake barber (green machine). you can try informed that is seal of approvel and he would try make council agree buy it.

[rbrtwlkr]

hi again
i forget mention about informed so any one of you can inform to Robert Davidson task force manager.

[Carol]

Hello

How do we contact Robert Davidson - has he got email? Has he been down to see the beach yet? I'm sure he will give it his seal of approval as well.

Does the SurfRaker - Green Machine really cost forty thousand pounds?

[Guest]

Carol

You can contact Robert by email at:

robert.davidson@edinburgh.gov.uk

£40,000 is my recollection of our conversation but I may be wrong. I know it sounds like a lot of money but we are talking about a long term investment into keeping Edinburgh's seaside at an acceptable standard of cleanliness. Besides, it must be a cheaper option than continually paying to patch up the old machines. Hopefully, Robert will post a progress report soon but the general consensus so far seems to be that the Surf Rake is making a significant difference.

[sicker]

Is it a lot of money?. How about diverting the council tax from just one street (Bath Street) for just one month. Would that not pay for this machine? That way we might see some local benefit from all the money we plough monthly into this council's coffers.

John

[Susan]

Hi,

Lots of comments about the cost of the new beach cleaner.

Does anybody know if the Forth Ports Authority still contract and pay the Council to clean the beach every day? If so does their payment not cover the cost of machines and manpower to provide such a service?

The beach is looking first class - whoever is paying!

Susan