Camber won’t receive any official tourist promotion until there’s confirmation on the safety of the beach following last year’s bio-bead pollution.
On Monday 23 February, Rother District Council heard work was continuing to clean up the beach after millions of the plastic pellets were washed up on the sands. Beads have also been found at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve following November’s failure at Southern Water’s Eastbourne treatment plant.
Concerns about the detrimental effect of the negative publicity that followed were raised by Eastern Rother councillor, Paul Osborne.
“This has caused a massive issue to Camber-based businesses including accommodation providers and the hospitality sector,” he said. “Are there any plans to get some positive news out to say that Camber is open for business and is safe to visit and can we work with Southern Water to get that message out?”
Councillor Hazel Timpe, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services at RDC, said she shared his concerns about the impact of the pollution. “There is a huge programme of work to ensure the beaches are as clean as possible, as quickly as possible. This work continues at pace but at this moment in time the clear up work is still in progress.”
She said she was fully supportive of Camber businesses. “The issue here is timing and it is important that we do not promote Camber until we are certain that it is safe. As soon as we are assured that the bio hazard to the environment and users of the beach is over, we will work with 1066 Marketing to publicise Camber as the wonderful destination it is.”
Independent reports have shared concerns about the environmental damage the beads could have caused.
At a meeting in Camber in January a representative from Southern Water said he hoped research for the company into the beads’ safety would be published in February.
Southern Water was unable to provide an update on the publication date. A spokesperson said, “Our work to remove the beads is continuing with new machinery and a long term plan in place. We also continue to work closely with Rother DC to ensure people have the information they need when planning visits to Camber Sands.”
Image Credits: Juliet Duff .
Cllr Timpe contradicts herself. She knows that Southern Water’s cleaning programme is going to last 3 years. And yet “she was fully supportive of Camber businesses…”
Camber relies on tourism to survive. RDC’s actions in this instance have destroyed hope for the village.
Thank you to Cllr Paul Osbourne, for asking for some common sense from RDC, sadly with (presumably the majority at) RDC deciding to continue with what seems to be an unrelenting resentment and usual response “neighbourhood services says no”. It will be so good to see some positivity from Rother at some point….hopefully in time to actually make a difference, perhaps some of the wonderful fresh air from the beautiful Camber beach will blow through the Town Hall and a long deep breath can be taken in and a collective opening of eyes can happen – to enable appreciation of this absolutely stunning asset.
I have not been fortunate enough to have seen “fully supportive” actions from Cllr Timpe as yet, recently or over the past few years, but I look forward to seeing it one day. Perhaps Councillor waiting on Souther Water’s timeline/lead is not the best way forward judging by their record. A little less conversation and bit more action perhaps??
Rest assured people, Camber beach remains one of the wonders of our coast line – beautiful to enjoy and frankly spectacular!
I see the Southern Water clean up centre which has been operating from the Western Car Park, Camber, has now
been completely dismantled and cleared away. Does that mean the clean up is finished or has it moved elsewhere?
I noticed as well that the clean up centre has completely gone from Western Car Park. I went onto Southern Water’s website to see if there is any news on the clean up and the results of Southern Water’s research into the beads’ safety but there is nothing announced. The pollution signs are still up at Central car park! Southern Water’s website announced in Feb that the mass-walk patrols has stopped due to lack of new sightings but that it continues to manage, monitor and clean up reported areas.
It seems just hard luck if you run a tourist business in Camber. Southern Water appointed a company back in January to compensate us for loss of income, however we can only claim for 8 weeks loss of business. Yet the clean up and the signs warning people about the pollution on the beach has continued. Weekend bookings currently are non-existent. One by one holiday let business are selling up in Camber, just look on Rightmove, if there is towels on the beds in the photo it’s a holiday let. Once sold it’s unlikely they will remain as holiday let’s due to the double stamp duty cost and double council tax if not on business rates.
Camber is very run down anyway,this may be final straw for many remaing businesses.
Lewis Green. Thank you for your assessment, but to correct you our beach is beautiful. Never ” run down” just it seems unappreciated by those appointed as custodians that should do more to protect its very being….
Businesses have evolved and work to serve the lovely visitors who come to enjoy its stunning wonder year after year. It’s a joy to live in or visit this beautiful coastal wonder….sadly you don’t see it perhaps