Sand dredging investigation a must for Gower's future - Welsh Lib Dems

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Oct 2007

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are demanding an independent study into the effects of sand dredging on beaches in South West Wales.

The party has put forward an opposition party motion on the subject, to be debated in the Senedd tomorrow. It calls on the Plaid-Labour Government to carry out an investigation on how beaches in Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural beauty are being affected by sand dredging in the Bristol Channel.

Swansea-based Welsh Lib Dem AM Peter Black, said:

"Without a proper environmental investigation, further dredging cannot be justified.

"This is what Swansea Council wants, what local people want and what local AMs want. Tomorrow the Plaid-Labour Government has an opportunity to meet that challenge. They must not duck that responsibility.

"Their previous decision to grant a license so that 150,000 tonnes of sand a year, over 7 years, can be dredged from Helwick Bank off Gower raises fundamental questions about their commitment to preserving some of Wales's best beaches.

"Nobody fully understands the impact that dredging is having on the area. That is why it's so important that we have an independent environmental assessment of the effects of dredging in the Bristol Channel.

"Tourism is increasingly an important industry in Wales. Any erosion in the attractiveness of one of the jewels in our crown - the Gower peninsula - is bad for Wales, bad for tourism and bad for our economy."

The full text of the motion reads:

Item 8: Welsh Liberal Democrats Debate (30 mins)

NDM3689 Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire)

The National Assembly calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to carry out a further independent study on the effects of sand dredging in the Bristol Channel on beaches in South West Wales.