Extra bins, cleaning staff, security and litter picking stations are amongst the measures Thanet council is putting in place this Summer to keep beaches and towns clean and safe.
The extra measures are in addition to security, portaloos and bins that were installed at the start of the Easter season.
The measures are in preparation for the predicted high number of visitors to Thanet over the summer holidays.
They also include an increased presence of Civil Enforcement Officers patrolling on foot, especially in the Kingsgate/Broadstairs area; static signage to direct visitors to some of the beaches which have more space and available parking when needed. One of these says ‘No Parking at Botany Bay’.
Thanet council says the parking team will issue over 100 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for parking offences on any busy sunny day during the summer.
The Environmental enforcement team has more resources than any previous year with three dedicated officers enforcing around the coast and eight coastal security wardens supporting them.
There are dedicated Enforcement patrol officers tasked with focusing on hotspots along our coast, at peak times of the day. Security patrols will also support Civil Enforcement Officers at roads surrounding hotspot locations, such as Botany Bay.
New coloured flags will also be in place to create clear meeting points visible for lost children and there will be a seven day a week medical presence throughout the summer in Margate. This will be led by NHS/South East Coast Ambulance Service at Margate Main Sands and aims to reduce the volume of people attending Margate’s urgent care/A&E.
On-site staff will manage and treat minor injuries and, where appropriate, make referrals to other parts of Kent depending on where the person is from and the nature of the problem.
Cllr Reece Pugh, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Thanet District Council, said: “We continue to lead our multi-agency beach management plan and enhance our preparations with extra initiatives as peak summer commences.
“Building on our experience from last year, it’s clear that a joined up approach to manage the large volumes of people heading to our coast is critical. We are working hard with other agencies to ensure the services we provide for residents and visitors along our coastline run smoothly.
“We know that litter left on our beaches will always be the biggest issue for our residents, so it’s great to be able to launch more schemes aimed specifically at encouraging behaviour change amongst people who find it acceptable to leave rubbish on the beach. We want people to do the right thing with their waste and put it in the bins provided.”
The council has also announced that there is a new concessionaire at Westbrook Bay who has been awarded a licence and is open until the end of the season.
Extra measures:
Flags at accesses to the main beaches to draw attention to the litter bins.
300 ‘The bin’s over there’ banners installed across the district, including on the coastline, in a partnership with chewing gum manufacturer, Mars Wrigley.
42 recycling bins in place at all Blue Flag beaches.
10 new litter picking stations which provide people with free recycled plastic bags installed at entrances to several popular beaches.
15 additional dog waste bag dispenser stations with free biodegradable bags for people to pick up after their dogs. This means there will be a total of 65 litter/dog stations across the district.*
Cigarette butt pouches (with the Respect Protect Enjoy logo) available from education@thanet.gov.uk for local food and drink outlets to stock.
Respect Protect Enjoy merchandise (T-shirts, cigarette pouches, high-vis jackets) reinforcing the message to be worn by all coastal and enforcement teams. These are on sale at the Visitor Information Centre in Margate to help fund other community litter initiatives.
Support for the new art installation at Margate Train Station led by community litter picking group, Rise.Up.Clean.Up Margate.
Beach check app UK
The council is the only coastal resort in Kent to sign up to the new Beach Check UK app which enables users to check the status of a beach before they arrive in order to avoid congested bays and to encourage them to discover nearby alternatives that are quieter and less crowded.
Have fun
Visit Thanet has details of a number of events taking place over the summer, including ones on our 16 beaches (5 Blue flags and 5 Seaside awards). More details are available on the Visit Thanet website.
Thanet Coast Project has a series of events throughout the summer to raise awareness and inspire people about protecting marine life and our oceans
I’ve seen the beach enforcement doing a great job. This is the first year that I’ve felt comfortable on Margate Beach.
Let’s hope the seafront security are slightly more mobile and proactive than the guy who “patrols” Viking Bay who is always sitting on the benches near the bandstand smoking and playing with his phone.
This should be standard requirement for Thanet not as an extra. Still could do better especially in the toilet department need to be permanent proper building. Have seen portaloo’s explode with very hot weather and that’s not good plus the blue di and smell is not what you want at the seaside
Blimey exploding portaloos, Should be ok an outside company was given a 6 month (expires soon) contract at botany bay & margate clock tower at a cost of around £70k
No point putting extra litter bins out if there not emptied regularly so many times do we see bins overflowing with rubbish
Seen in a different council area, those big bins which are half full are not actually emptied. An operative will have a look inside the bin and wave the driver on to the next bin.
On the next round of collection, the bin is full to overflowing. Mountains of Trash just left on the ground adjacent the so full bin. Blowing around in the wind !
When I was a kid there was a Red Cross first aid station at Marine Sands. Makes sense to reintroduce something similar to prevent minor injuries having to go to A&E. It was also the place any “lost” youngsters were taken and announcements were made by tannoy for their parents / family.
They were supposed to be ensuring that camper vans weren’t staying overnight in Westgate, yet they’re still there for several days/nights at a time.
Supposed to be a TRO at Palm bay Avenue also but there are even more camper vans and caravans there now. This is down to KCC working slowly.
Summer is almost over and now TDC gets extra workers. Have they removed them from Northdown Road as none have been seen this week and the litter build up is evident?
Hey Peter.
I purchased a camper van a few months ago following your advice about being able to stay overnight in Westgate. Best tip ever – I’ve been staying there, overnight, every weekend. I’ll be there from tomorrow night. Pop by for a cuppa and I’ll let you use my loo.
Regards
Manston1
Fine by me Mr. Manston – I’ve moved to Birchington!
That’s right TDC try and find ways to deter visitors to the area those that do mange to get through the hoops and over the hurdles then you can fine them for daring to park by the seaside. Botany Bay residents knew full well when they decided to live in that area the summers would be busy so I hope one of the visitors takes TDC to court to challenge the exclusion zone I’m sure it’s unlawful for TDC to be harassing and intimidating visitors. Just like KCC were shown to be acting unlawful for harassing and intimidation of HGVs parking. I wonder if there are councillors and / or their relatives living in the Botany Bay Area two think they are oh so special. Visitors should be welcome to the seaside we are NOT a retirement village yet.
There is a difference between being busy and irresponsible visitors parking over drives and on paths blocking them to prams and wheelchair users. Over the last few years busses, emergency vehicles and waste collection vehicles have been unable to get around palm bay as morons block the road.
On top of that, litter dumped on the beach and at the kerbside by their car without any consequence means that residents end up clearing up every evening.
People come here as it is a lovely place then leave it looking like a landfill. Please do visit but respect the area and take your rubbish home.
More thanet council lies they have not added anything extra they have just replaced what they took out last year when will people wake up to this carpet unless council why don’t you ask them why they spend more money each year on gagging orders stopping councilors and staff telling people just how corrupt they all are than they do on bin collection and why they are paying nearly a million pounds in legal fees to protect the reputation of people there paying over 100 thousand pounds a year to run the council because they are being prosecuted for fraud poverting the cause of justice and bulling and harassment of anyone under them who won’t take the blame for there mistakes you know real journalism insted of these crap con job story’s ever think the reason they are so carupt is because media t
Let them get away with far to much for far to long ???
I gave up reading that after a couple of lines (punctuation is your friend!).
‘The bin’s over there’ banners are an eyesore and hopelessly ineffective, the recycling bins are emptied into the general rubbish collection – more flakey news from TDC.
As for camper vans, KCC thinks the solution is to ban them from parking on the roads on the entire coast line 1800hrs to 0600hrs – enforcement? Side roads? When is a camper van not a camper van? Heading to Finbars in your camper for an evening meal – don’t it will illegal!
More half baked thinking from our public servants.