Portobello Beach: disabled access project

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[Maria]

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Thanks! I spent so long battling to get the bollards removed from the ramp by my house (or a gate installed, to keep the sand in) so that I could get onto the beach by *June*, that I am only now having the luxury of working out how to get into the water!

By the way, I am all in favour of having the jetskis kept to the north end of the beach, or beyond the golden balls, and completely banned if they can't behave safely. It would only take ten minutes to padlock a chain across the King's Road prom ramp. Wheelchairs could still limbo underneath it and the council tractor would presumably have a key.

I would like to speak to council bods, especially now that I have real names to talk to (courtesy of POL Denise, who is a star!) but think it will speed things up if I have an actual plan to give them, instead of just another challenge.

[Denise]

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[Izzie]

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[Izzie]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Denise]

[Bob Jefferson]

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[seanie]

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[wangi]

Six groynes, 280m apart (you know, roughly) - from the 1:25000 OS map, it also has the mean high and low water springs.

The maps on the also include the groynes and high and low water marks along with a high level of detail of the Prom. You can see the major entrances to the beach, but not the minor ones.

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Thanks guys; that should help with some of the beach descriptions. I will hopefully soon have a selection of photos of the ramp gradient and stretch of sand nearest me, though I'm not so keen on being the subject matter for the shots demonstrating the 'hurtling down ramp', 'break descent by landing on face in sand' and 'this is how deep the soft sand is' aspects.. Usually I prefer to be photographing the sunsets

Scottish Natural Heritage are keen to share their experience of building slipways and walkways across sand on their beachy nature reserves. Apparently there is one across the beach at St Cyrus, though the photos on their website don't show the access surface itself. They have already pointed out a few things about the needs for maintenance along the part of the walkway that runs between the high and low tide marks as far as slipperyness and seaweed goes, but they have recently found a very good non-slip surface, more info to follow.

For those now so inspired by the prospect of getting to into the sea that they want to try all sorts of new activities; here is a little something I found earlier:

http://www.wheelyboats.org

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East Devon District Council responded immediately with information on their own plans for beach access and links to those who might help further. They are considering the possibilities of re-using heavy rubber surfaces from the mining industry as walkways across the sands - someone there has certainly been thinking innovatively!
More info to follow.

[Izzie]

Can I help in any way?????????

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[Izzie]

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I have often been given the impression that Edinburgh forgets that it has at least one beach, but having read through a tourism website checking up on the level of detail they give for disabled access (or not) to the beaches around Edinburgh, I find that Portobello beach isn't listed. Not an absence of access or detail; I mean a complete absence of village and beach at all!

Look to see if you can find Portobello: http://www.edinburgh.org/beaches/

Crammond, Gullane, Yellowcraigs and Aberlady are listed - but Porty has apparently vanished into the sea fog : )


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Morag Edward

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I'd like to take this opportunity to extend a large thank-you to the people and organisations who have already shown interest in this project and sent everything from enthusiasm to expert advice and offers of professional assistance and possible funding.

Scottish Natural Heritage, The Forestry Commission, East Lothian Coastal Rangers, The Paths for All Partnership, East Devon Council and ASCS have all offered advice, suggested further contacts, shown support, and patiently answered my endless questions - above and beyond the call of duty!

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Does anyone have good photographs of the entrances and sands at the Southern end of the promenade? I don't need them to include a person with tape measure and stripey stick (unless you want to) but something that gives a clear indication of the slope and sand would be great. Thanks!

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I don't know how to transfer info from another thread, but we now have some excellent photos of the Joppa end of the prom courtesy of Wangi! (see Porty Online)

The proposal for enabling beach access is going before Porty's own Council tomorrow night, and I am looking forward to hearing what everyone there thinks about it.

Something we should do is create a project website to make it all more public and give a useful point of contact between interested parties, enabling suggestions, advice, concerns etc. It could show photos, plans, trials and schemes and their success, failure and alterations as we progress (or don't progress - which would be important news in itself)

The possibility of reusing mining coveyor belts as beach pathways was suggested in Devon, though I'm still waiting to hear back from the councillor who proposed it in their report. I have heard from a local here who remembered reusing the mining conveyor belts to give the kids huge play slides down the bings, so if the sections were known for their slipperiness, then perhaps they were not such a good plan after all..

As a variation on that idea of a rubber pathway, there is a company in England who manufacture heavy duty pathway sections from recycled rubber tyres so I have contacted them for further information, and will hopefully have more news soon.

[Izzie]

[Maria]

[Maria]