This is the view of Hayle Town Council, which has issued a strongly worded statement confirming its position following a meeting last night (Thursday).

It follows increasing concern over the practice of dredging the river and removing sand from Hayle Beach, which led to a public protest taking place last weekend.

Almost 3,500 people have also signed a petition calling for it to be stopped. 

Hayle Harbour Authority has previously said it is allowed to dredge four sections under the Hayle Harbour Act 1989: along the river in the inner harbour, the approach channel, Hayle bar and Lelant.

It claimed dredging was necessary for boats to continue accessing it, and that money made from the sale of the sand was invested back into the maintenance of the harbour and its operation costs.

Operations have currently ceased at the request of Cornwall Council, while it investigates the situation and further conversations take place with the owners of the Hayle North Quay development site and the harbour authority.

Last night (Thursday) Hayle Town Council met for its February full council meeting, which was also attended by concerned members of the public.

After discussions a number of resolutions were voted in favour of, including:

• That Hayle Town Council wants the reinstatement of sluicing to reduce the burden of dredging.
• That the council was “strongly opposed to dredging and removal of sand from the channel”, adding that this must be replaced by dredging and beach/dune replenishment.
• That the council is “strongly opposed to digging up the beach,” adding: “This cannot be justified on the grounds of safety and must not continue.”

The council also agreed that it recognised the beach was a closed sediment cell, and “in the interests of transparency” it would write to a number of other interested parties to update them on the issues, the actions so far and “the serious potential problem areas identified to us,” also asking that “we seek their support in continuing to press for a sustainable, environmentally friendly solution to keeping the channel clear for boat users.”

Those receiving letters will be:

• St Ives Town Council
• Gwinear & Gwithian Parish Council
• Cornwall councillors representing St Ives and Gwinear & Gwithian Parish
• Cornwall Council portfolio holder for environment and climate change Martyn Alvey
• MP for the St Ives constituency Andrew George

It was further agreed that the council would write to:

• The Environment Agency asking for it to “leverage its contacts to discuss the situation with Network Rail, advising on the threat to the dunes around the St Ives Branch line.”
• The Health & Safety Executive “advising that while operations have currently ceased, we feel obliged to make them aware that we have heard allegations that operators have been working often at night, allegations that they have operated without a banksman and allegations that they have severed a significant power cable under the sand.”
• BCM Global to “make them aware of both the environmental damage and then the potential local and national reputational damage occurring because of actions being undertaken in Hayle” and to find a “sustainable, environmentally friendly way to keep the channel clear for boats.”

Finally, the council voted that any dredging that does happen must be part of a signed off licence, agreed in advance and adhered to - for example, citing where sand is removed from and where it will be deposited.

The meeting also heard a summary of another meeting held two days earlier, with representatives of the Environment Agency, Natural England, MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle Perran Moon.

Hayle Towans was chosen as one of the best beaches in the UK according to the Times and Sunday Times Best Beach guide last year (Image: Getty Images) This was a follow up to meeting in October last year, organised by Hayle Town Council which said that while it has no direct powers or responsibilities in the matter, it felt its role was to bring all parties together to address the issues.

After this meeting, representatives went away to explore the legality, options and what the respective bodies could do, with legal advice sought during this time.

The council has posted a statement online confirming its position on sand removal at Hayle, stating: “As a council, we are deeply committed to preserving the environmental integrity and natural beauty of Hayle Beach.

“We acknowledge the necessity of maintaining a safe and navigable harbour channel for our fishing and sailing communities.

“However, we have significant concerns regarding the current sand removal practices and their potential long-term impacts on our local environment and ecology.”

It went on to welcome news that MP Perran Moon had raised the issue in Parliament, seeking clarity and action regarding the sand removal practices at Hayle Harbour, and said: “We remain dedicated to ensuring that any actions taken are in the best interest of both our community and the environment.

“We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and as we progress in our efforts to address this critical issue.”