Summer season in Thanet: Statistics show impact of Beach Management Plan

New figures released today show the extent of work undertaken by the Council and its partners and their collective commitment to keep the area’s beaches and towns clean and safe this staycation boom summer season.

Dedicated multi-agency activity was in place as part of the council’s Beach Management Plan this summer to tackle the huge volumes of visitors to the coast. During this period, train travel¹ to Thanet increased by 71% during the peak season as the demand for a UK staycation at the coast remained strong.

From tonnes of litter collected, to lost children reunited with their families, agencies including the council, NHS and South East Coast Ambulance Service, Kent Police, RNLI, Your Leisure’s Bay Inspectors and Southeastern Railway, have successfully worked together for another year in support of the comprehensive Beach Management Plan. The plan was implemented for the second consecutive season to help everyone respect, protect and enjoy Thanet’s coastline.

Figures include:

Respect:

• • • 1,800 tonnes of litter collected throughout the season²
    • 7,000 hours of litter picking completed across eight of Thanet’s most popular beaches by council staff (not including the incredible efforts from the local community and groups!)
    • Large (1100 litre) litter bins emptied approximately 20,000 times (19,840)
    • Smaller street-sized/wheelie bins (240 litre) emptied approximately 14,880 times (during July and August alone)
    • Over 80 acres (or 53 football pitches) of sand raked by the council’s tractor which sifts litter from Thanet’s larger beaches (Margate Main Sands and Viking Bay)
    • Over 100,000 bags of litter collected by the council since April when resources were increased at Easter
    • 10,000 litter bags dispensed from 38 new council litter³ and dog bag stations which provide free bags to the public to pick up after themselves or their dogs. 1,500 bags dispensed from stations at Botany Bay and Kingsgate Bay since their installation in mid-August.

Protect:

• • • At least one call a day to crews from the South East Coast Ambulance (SECAM) requesting attendance at a Thanet beach or promenade this season.
    • A designated 7-days a week medical unit was installed throughout the summer at Margate Main Sands to relieve pressure at urgent care/Accident and Emergency.
    • The council’s parking team issued on average over 100 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for parking offences on any busy sunny day during the summer.
    • As a result of the council’s Beach and Coastal Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), introduced at Easter (April 2021):
      – Over 40% (41.2%) of cases logged by PSPO enforcement officers related to challenging people who were ignoring rules that state which beaches dogs can/cannot be on.
      – Over half (51.4%) of these reports specifically related to people walking their dogs outside of permitted hours on Botany Bay, with a quarter of reports for dog walking on Margate Main Sands.
      – 42.6% of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) issued were for barbecues before 6pm, bonfires or large gatherings held illegally on our beaches.
      – 17% of reports related to people camping on our beaches.

Enjoy:

• • • During the peak season, train trips to Thanet˜ via the Southeastern network were up by 71% (by +116% in June, +64% in July and +38% in August) compared to the previous year.
    • 540 tonnes of seaweed was removed from West Bay, St Mildred’s, Westbrook, Nayland Rock, and Minnis Bay, and taken to a nearby farm.
    • Almost 4,000ˆ people used the Beach Check UK app which helps visitors and residents enjoy beaches off the beaten track which are quieter and less crowded. Thanet was ranked second highest out of the eight popular coastal destinations featured in the app.

Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Cllr Reece Pugh, said: “First and foremost I want to congratulate and thank all staff from the council and our partner agencies for their commitment and dedication throughout the summer season. These statistics demonstrate the significant impact and contribution they have made to the local community. They’re not only helping to keep Thanet clean, but also ensuring people are safe.

“Managing the large volumes of people heading to our coast has been a challenge for the past two years but, by taking a collaborative approach and working hard in partnership with the relevant agencies, we have been able to ensure our services run much more smoothly.

“Tackling litter left on beaches continues to be a huge priority for us and alongside ample bins on our seafronts, we’ve introduced a number of initiatives this season to encourage behaviour change. We hope that people who leave litter on our beaches begin to see sense and understand that what they’re doing is selfish, dangerous and wrong.”

With the expected influx of people due to Covid-19 restrictions being eased, the council put in place extra resources, including more bins, cleansing staff and security at Easter, which is three months earlier than normal. These extra preparations also included extending working hours for beach cleaners from 6am-8pm and several new litter initiatives were introduced for the summer holidays. More information.

• 1 – Via the Southeastern network
• 2 – Figures collected for the season comprise months of July and August unless otherwise stated.
• 3 – Figures relate to litter collected by Street Cleansing Teams at beaches/street bins and not household bin collections.
• ˜ – This covers rail trips to coastal locations in the Thanet area, including the stations at Birchington, Westgate, Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.
• ˆ – 3,864 opens of the app for Thanet beaches