Wheelchair access plans have been abandoned at two Cork Blue Flag beaches due to storm risk.
According to the Irish Examiner, Cork County Council had been planning to install beach matting at the two Blue Flag beaches in South Cork.
The plans have now been scrapped as council engineers have stated that increasingly severe coastal storms would likely sweep away the specialized matting required for wheelchair access to the sand and water.
Following a joint assessment by County Council engineers and the matting supplier, officials concluded that neither location is suitable for beach access matting. The decision was driven by the impact of unpredictable tidal fluctuations and severe weather risks, the Irish Examiner has reported.
Speaking at a recent meeting of the Bandon/Kinsale Municipal District Council by its municipal officer, Brian Dunne said: “The matting system is designed to be laid directly on the sand. Given the exposed nature of these two beaches, together with the prevalence of extreme weather conditions and high tidal activity, there is a significant risk that the matting could be displaced or washed away from its intended location."
“At present, it's not considered operationally feasible. It's therefore considered that beach matting would be more appropriate at sheltered coastal locations where exposure to tidal and weather-related impacts is significantly reduced,” he continued.
Dunne stated that he and the council's engineers will try to find other beaches in the municipal area that may be suitable for beach matting for wheelchair users.
