By Local Democracy Reporters Daniel Esson & Gabriel Morris
Kitesurfers say they have been left “devastated” after being banned from a coastal Thanet beauty spot they had used for more than 20 years due to the risk of disturbing birds.
An agreement between Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) and the watersport enthusiasts previously permitted the activity at Pegwell Bay.
But that has ended, meaning kitesurfers could now be hit with a £100 fixed penalty notice from Thanet District Council (TDC) as they would be in breach of the authority’s Beaches Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
Pegwell Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an internationally important National Nature Reserve, which was opened by Sir David Attenborough in 1999.
Its mudflats and salt marshes are home to rare and endangered birds which are in decline. Seals also visit the bay.
Kent Wildlife Trust says these species are disturbed by activities like jet skiing, paddle boarding and kitesurfing.
Graeme Rolbiecki (pictured), who runs Kite Pirates at Pegwell Bay, said that since the “draconian” ban has been enforced, his training school’s revenue has been slashed by 70%.
“People have kited here for as long as kiting’s been around,” he said. “The sport’s about 30 years old and as soon as they realised what this place delivers, this became a hotspot for it.”
Mr Rolbiecki says the prevailing southwesterly wind makes Pegwell Bay the perfect location for the activity, which involves riding on a surfboard whilst holding onto a large power kite.
“I don’t think there would be a better place to teach kitesurfing if you scoured the whole UK,” he said. “You’ve got this beautiful shallow beach that runs off for about half a mile which just makes it ideal for teaching.”
A voluntary agreement had been in place between Natural England and the wildlife trust, allowing the watersport to continue in a restricted area of Pegwell Bay.
However, after KWT raised concerns about the impact on wildlife in recent years, the agreement was not renewed when it came to an end in November last year.
The district council informed Mr Rolbiecki that his school’s licence to teach at Pegwell Bay had been revoked.
Mr Rolbiecki said: “This year it’s meant the revenue for the school has been slashed by about 70%. I’ve had to go back to my other job, scaffolding. It’s just become a hobby job for this summer, with a view to hopefully potentially getting this thing sorted out and getting the school back on track hopefully in April.
“It’s devastating – to me personally, the students – and the greater kitesurfing community has suffered.”
Stefano Biagina (pictured), a kitesurfer from Whitstable, said the agreement was withdrawn without any consultation.
“We were instantly told that if we were to kitesurf here we would fall foul of the PSPO,” he said. “The schools had a formal set-up but they didn’t operate in the winter and that’s because this site was used in the winter by a number of migrating birds.”
A KWT report explains that an agreement was made with kitesurfing schools to teach at the bay in 2004.
The charity’s report says that in 2022, they received 25 reports of violations of the kitesurfing agreement. The following year, this figure rose to 60.
KWT says the agreement stipulates that kitesurfing is only permissible in the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay area “under exceptional circumstances, when other designated kite surfing sites at Ramsgate, Westbrook and Minnis Bay are unsuitable due to offshore wind direction at these sites”.
But Mr Rolbiecki says it is only possible to use those sites when the prevailing wind comes from the north, west, or east – and that is only about 25% of the time in summer.
There are only a handful of instances recorded – less than five a year and none this year – where the agreement was violated specifically by disturbing birds. The majority of breaches were kitesurfers launching from Pegwell Bay during the winter season.
However, the reserve is an internationally important site for wildlife, most notably for coastal and wetland birds. There has been a decline in the numbers of several of the important bird species over the last few years and it is hoped by reducing disturbances, numbers will improve.
A KWT spokesman said: “Pegwell Bay is home to rare and endangered coastal and wetland birds which are in decline
“These species are impacted by disturbances from recreational activities such as jet skiing, paddle boarding and kitesurfing.
“To protect the valuable feeding and resting areas within the intertidal area of the bay, many activities, such as walking, with or without a dog, horse riding and the launching of watercraft are already restricted.
“Natural England, the government’s conservation advisors, have not consented to kitesurfing within the boundaries of the Site of Special Scientific Interest.
“Without consent, the owners and managers of the National Nature Reserve should not allow these activities to be carried out.
“For this reason, a voluntary agreement which allowed kitesurfing under very specific circumstances has not been renewed.
“This brings kitesurfing in line with other recreational activities which aren’t permitted to launch from within the National Nature Reserve.
“Kent Wildlife Trust’s primary focus surrounds ensuring the area remains a haven for wildlife and will continue to work with Thanet District Council, Natural England and other stakeholders to keep nature at the forefront of the decision-making process.”
A TDC spokesperson said: “A voluntary agreement was previously in place between Natural England and Kent Wildlife Trust, which allowed kitesurfing at Pegwell Bay. The agreement came to an end in November 2023, meaning that kitesurfing became a prohibited activity.
“Thanet District Council has a duty to enforce the SSSI rules and does so through the Beach and Coast Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). The PSPO covers the entire Thanet coastline and prohibits any activity that disturbs wildlife.”
Good. The way these kitesurfers use the bay is pretty much guaranteed to scare off nesting/resting birds and other wildlife like seals.
No they don’t affect the birds or seals that was the whole point of the agreement that restricted kitesurfers away from the wildlife.
Actually no as that was the whole point of the agreement that they had in place. They stayed away from areas that could cause a disturbance to wildlife, sigh…
this is just people with an ounce of power or authority throwing their weight around – the same people that licence shooting birds for a fee in the same area –
It’s an SSSI site, dogs have to be on leads, you can’t dig bait yet somehow Kitesurfing was allowed.
I could never work out how kitesurfing was allowed on an SSSI site.
Seems a sensible move to me BUT a couple of hundreds yards away they want to build electric converters on Minster Marshes.
Unfortunately dogs are not kept on leads, I have seen dogs running straight across that bay scaring the birds away. Bait diggers get Magna Carter rights so they do dig there.
And Natural England has licensed Canoe Wild to canoe off the SSI and the Kent Wildfowlers to shoot birds just down the coast. The shooting licence covers some of the same species that are at the SSI – I would think that is quite disturbing to the birds/might have had more impact on their numbers. Inconsistent
It’s an open secret that Thanet Council does not enforce any of the rules around its PSPO. They spend hours chatting about it. Lots of officer time and lots of ‘engagement’. All without any actual work result. There’s a few officers for cosplay and cycling excursions. Nice work if you can get it – as long as they keep their mouths shut at the futility of it all, that is. Not one of them has ever written a penalty notice. Keep on ‘surfin!
Kite-surfers should also be banned from public beaches. People too are disturbed, and even put at risk, by kite-surfers who launch from local beaches, such as Ramsgate’s, where people swim and paddle-board.
You can’t paddleboard in the same conditions that you kite surf. Ideal paddleboard conditions are little or no wind. Kite surfing doesn’t work unless there is at least 17kts of wind.
I have swum in the sea at Ramsgate Main Sands on days when people were kite-surfing, and so have other people.
Good to know it doesn’t put you off.
The only thing “Conservationists” are really interesting in conserving are their jobs! Another grifting gravy train. Look through a pair of binoculars, count things and put the data in a spreadsheet. Nice work if you can get it!🙄
I really hope that Ramsgate’s Main Beach does not become a hot-spot for this activity.
A few years ago I watched a surfer struggling to control his kite as a strong wind blew him, his kite, and tend of yards of lethal rigging lines, down the beach, scattering bathers, picnicers and sandcastle building children left right and centre.
It has taken TDC years to get a handle on the jet-ski nuisance. We don’t want that one replaced by kite surfers.
Good at las the wildlife can grow and the seals will not be in danger why are these kitesurfing groups not understanding or caring about the reality of the future of the animals and birds go some were else
If you actually read the article you would know that the kitesurfers were restricting themselves to protect the wildlife very successfully for twenty years. Hardly a community that doesn’t care. The same ‘conservationists’ license the same birds to be shot for a fee… money and power as always
There is a far bigger picture regards dwindling bird numbers. Constant sewage pollution, plastic pollution and chemical pollution are having a far greater detremental impact on birds feeding and breeding grounds than a kite making a bird lift off and fly 50m. There is no evidence whatsoever that kitesurfing is impacting bird numbers.its a pointless witch hunt against the small businesses and minority extreme sports enthusiasts because conservationists don’t have the weight to tackle the real problems facing birds
“Compared to other types of man-made disturbances, water sports and especially kitesurfing tended to present rather powerful disturbance stimuli. It tended to have a considerable impact on birds with a substantial proportion of birds either taking long flights or leaving a site altogether”
From https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322365014_On_the_effects_of_kitesurfing_on_waterbirds_-_a_review
Thanks for this. As with most reports on kitesurfing and bird disturbance it’s somewhat ambiguous. Is the disturbance caused solely by kitesurfing or other sports and human activity in the area? who actually sanctioned the report? Is the data credible. Claiming a bird in migration might see a kite flying and change its course entirely is quite a claim and almost impossible to substantiate
Rubbish! A non peer reviewed article written by a birdwatcher. Try British Trust for Ornithology that shows that kitesurfing causes no harm to birds Quantifying wintering waders’ responses to disturbance – British Ornithologists’ Union (bou.org.uk)
https://bou.org.uk/collop-waders-disturbance/#:~:text=We%20undertook%20experimental%20disturbance
Where in the article to which “mycroft” provides a link is there a reference to kite-surfing?
The article references human disturbance in the Wash estuary which includes watersports such as kitesurfing. The key point is that birds expends so little energy moving off and have so much food available that these disturbances are inconsequential. Much like the situation at Pegwell bay which is why the decision to restrict kitesurfers is not based on any valid science.
The problem is Southern Water emptying crap in the sea not kite surfers!!!!! Some of the comments are ludicrous how does kitesurfing affect people on the beach or swimming in the sea???!!! People love to moan about things they haven’t even got a clue about!!!
If you happen to be swimming in the sea, then you might be seriously affected by a kite surfer heading your way at 30 mph.
I have personally seen a kite surfer struggling with an out-of-control rig being dragged down Ramsgate’s main beach, scattering bathers left right and centre.
It was fortunate that no one was seriously injured by the rigging lines.
If you happen to be walking along the beach you might be injured by a dog. I have personally seen a dog running after my daughter, knocking her over and anchoring her slobbering to the ground. I have personally seen a dog jumping up at me and tearing my trousers. I have personally seen a dog biting my friend’s hand. Does this mean we should ban all dogs?
It means that all dogs should be on a lead on beaches during the spring and summer at least, unless they’re swimming.
Ottie- do you swim in the sea?
Seems strange banning kite surfers from a place that once had hovercrafts. Killjoys!
Will be interesting to see if TDC then go onto agreeing planning for the housing development in Pegwell. I think the building of 160 plus houses might have a bigger impact on the wildlife than kite surfing. Just saying!
Probably not. Houses tend to stay still; kite surfers hurtle about at speed with great big kites.
In London, peregrine falcons have taken up residence on the lattice girders supporting the O2.
Andrew- If I’d known that kite-surfers were going to enter the water, I wouldn’t have gone to swim at Ramsgate Main Sands that day. When they did, I got out of the sea as quickly as I could. Kite surfers, like many jet-skiers, are a danger to other sea users.
M.M.Rees actually insurance data contradicts you. It is a low insurance sport (Class 1). But it is clear that you have an anti kitesurfing agenda. Quite where they should go is not clear – nowhere near people and nowhere away from people not causing any harm.
But be careful what you wish for – the same PSPO is being used to restrict swimmers and can be applied to anywhere on the Thanet coast that allegedly ‘disturbs’ a wildlife animal – so careful as you walk on the beach eating your fish and chips that you don’t shoo a seagull.
The fact that insurance is required indicates that there is risk.
I doubt that Ms Rees had to take out insurance to go swimming.
Andrew fair point – I will explain better. Insurance for kitesurfing is not required – many people do have it automatically when they join a club just like say many cyclists do. If you go abroad and undertake an activity you would sensibly take out insurance in case you were injured. If you look at insurances eg Sportscover direct you will see that there is a Group 1 category that includes, walking, angling and kitesurfing. Gravel cycling is group 4 for comparison.
Mycroft. I never eat food on the beach. And I don’t swim near Pegwell Bay- why would I, when it only takes a few minutes for me to walk to Ramsgate Main Sands for a swim?
Andrew – houses have people and dogs and 90% of these people it is estimated will walk along the nearby Nature Reserve- by far and away the biggest disturbance to wildlife is people and dogs nearby the nesting and resting grounds. in other words another 300 people and 200 dogs to contend with?If you read the article you will see that kitesurfers restricted themselves to an area that had no nests or resting birds and the studies I have posted elsewhere show that minor disturbance to mudflats is of no consequence.
The study you posted didn’t mention kite surfers. It did mention humans.
The article references human disturbance in the Wash estuary which includes watersports such as kitesurfing. The key point is that birds expends so little energy moving off and have so much food available that these disturbances are inconsequential. Much like the situation at Pegwell bay which is why the decision to restrict kitesurfers is not based on any valid science.
Mycroft- You think kite-surfing is an ok sport- I don’t and clearly neither does Andrew. You are not going to change my view of kite-surfing no matter how many comments you make.
Thank you for your honesty. I am aware that facts and logical reasoning won’t change some people’s opinions. But there are others here who read the news and might be interested in understanding better the situation, and for whom the truth matters. Particularly as the real story here is an overreach by TDC in their PSPO legislation. Have a good day.
My opinions are based on facts, and as much logical reasoning as possible. They just don’t coincide with you.
What ‘facts’ are you relying on? The only one you have cited is that you are scared of people having fun
I’m scared of being harmed. And jet-skis and kites when used where there are swimmers and other sea users are capable of harming them. To say that I am “scared of people having fun” is both ignorant and absurd.
Swimming in the Thanet sea will do you more harm than any of those. You may as well put your head down a public toilet.
I rather think that being run down by a jetski or kite surfer travelling at 30 or 40 mph will do a swimmer quite a lot of damage.
What a ridiculous comment by Peter Checksfield. Not only is he wrong about the harm which jetskis and sea kites can do and have done, but there are not many occasions when sewage has been discharged into the sea at Ramsgate Main Sands·
Exactly how many people in Ramsgate have been injured by jetskis and sea kites?
Andrew ‘I rather think that being run down by a jetski or kite surfer travelling at 30 or 40 mph will do a swimmer quite a lot of damage.’
I think if a kitesurfer were travelling at 40mph they would be doing quite a lot of damage to their own underpants
Good deflection – still no facts though – no wonder I am so ‘ignorant’. Not sure why I am ‘absurd’ though. But since you have started the name calling, I’ll respond in kind. Have you ever been injured by a kite or is it all in your head? I have been bitten by a dog (and there are actual cases of mauling and killing by dogs) and I am terrified of them. But I accept that others love them and get pleasure from them being around so I wouldn’t ask for them to be banned so I can have the space to myself. Because that would be intolerant and mean spirited.
Marti -The comment is absurd because you don’t know me .
“with yours”
Banned kite surfing that they do over by the pegwel bay hotel side of the bay. But it’s ok to take your dog to the actual nature reserve and let it off the lead to run riot over the mud flats. Ok seams fair to me NOT!!! dogs need banning from protected beaches not the kite surfers who pose no danger to nesting birds on the mud flats what a joke.
Dogs are banned from the protected beaches.
It’s just that their owners don’t care.
Those sandbanks are where seals stop to rest and sun themselves in summer. There is a population that live around the estuary that are being disturbed by continued use of jet skis. But what will happen to the birds in this protected site when a cargo airport opens nearby? That will devastate pretty much all wildlife in the area.
They survived 15 years of a hoverport.
The SSSIs is restricted which means it is not a public space. So how can a PUBLIC SPACE Protection Order (PSPO) apply to enforce the rules?
And where is the public that is ‘alarmed’ or endangered in the Bay?
Feel for the kitesurfers if they are having to contend with Thanet District Council’s overreach. Would explain the lack of consultation. Surprised that this hasn’t been picked up as the story given the recent history of TDC PSPO failures.
Such a shame the kite surfers have always been a good bunch, and it’s good to see the water space used, and it’s an area not generally used by swimmers. Unfortunately the wildlife and birding community are against kite surfers and dog owners, but quite happy cutting down hundreds of trees to fence in 3 bison which no-one can see, (unless they spend a fortune).
Kent Wildlife Trust is gradually removing plantations of non-native conifers from South Blean woods.
How much does the entrance fee to Blean Woods cost?