Nairn Access Panel shares 'frustration' over Nairn Central beach access plans objections
Plans to build two wheelchair-accessible paths at Nairn beach were countered by strong objections from the town’s community councils — sparking disappointment amongst access panel members.
In July, the Nairn Access Panel submitted plans to upgrade two paths through the dunes to Nairn Central beach — one near the Links car park and the other close to the marina — to ensure they are accessible by wheelchairs and children's buggies.
However, both Nairn West & Suburban Community Council and Nairn River Community Council have objected to the development, on the grounds that this would disrupt the recently-launched Nairn Dunes Resilience project, which is being led by Nairn Improvement Community Entreprise (NICE).
The objections state that, although the initiative is seen as “well-intentioned” and “supported in principle”, the introduction of concrete paving on the dunes would be disruptive to the sand dunes habitat, which the Dunes resilience project aims to restore.
Nairn River’s objection states that this is “a classic case of well-intentioned initiatives colliding due to poor coordination” and that “funding both projects without integrating them into a unified coastal management strategy” would be “counterproductive”.
However, Nairn Access Panel chair Séamus McArdle said the project has been a long time in the making and that, having been made aware of the objections only once they had been submitted to the planning portal, the lack of support was “very frustrating” and “disappointing”.
“We’ve been calling for access for over 15 years. Why has it taken so long for the community councils to speak out about accessibility? 15 years of silence that forced the access panel to take the initiative.
The absolute lack of action over the past 15 years has been deafening, to the point where the access panel was forced to act to raise funds and get things done ourselves. The path to the harbour behind the Sun Dancer, which has been welcomed by the whole community, would not be there if it wasn't for our foresight, persistence and endeavour. It demonstrates how improvements to accessibility benefits everyone, not just the disabled.
“The access panel have worked tirelessly over many years on this specific beach access project and has successfully raised and maintained the grant funding to use on the final elements of the project, which includes upgrading the existing footpaths to the beach.
“Both community councils supported our funding application for this project. What’s changed?”
This comes after efforts by the access panel to make Nairn Beach more accessible to all.
Objections also stated that the applications do not “demonstrate a clear purpose or present unmet need for the paths”, saying there are other accessible access points already exist along the Links, and adding that that the new service provided by Nairn Beach Wheelchairs (which opened earlier this year) provides an alternative way to access the beach for people in wheelchairs.
“What the Nairn Beach Wheelchairs provide is very welcome. Upgrading these paths would make their job much easier” Mr McArdle explained.
“However, their service is offered on a part-time basis and with booking needed in advance — it’s not a total solution.
“It does not provide access for those disabled people who are unable, or unwilling, to be lifted into a different wheelchair and pushed by a volunteer, nor does it provide access for those who want to act independently on the spur of the moment, just like everyone else.”
“These paths are public paths, for the use by the general public. That should mean all of the general public. If there is concern on the impact these paths have on the dunes’ resilience, then perhaps access should be denied to everyone? Rightly, this would be objected to by the general public, but this is the case for disabled people!”
He said that even more frustration comes from seeing what is a newly-adopted project override one that has been many years in the making after efforts of many years.
“Our priorities are included in the Place Plan and Links Plan and part of the project we received funding for years ago, yet the community councils’ recently conceived Dunes Resilience project is used to supplant the access panels project without it having to go through the Planning process. Surely, upgrading two existing paths should also be Permitted Development in the same circumstances?”
Another hurdle has come in the form of a submission by Highland Council’s Flood Risk Management team — which has objected to the proposals on the grounds of a lack of flood risk information, with the paths being considered at medium to high flood risk.
Mr McArdle said that the access panel will give further details required at the technical drawings stage
“The access panel will request information from the Planning representatives to explain why the proposals outlined in the two applications were not allowed under Permitted Development as was originally indicated.
“We will ask that Highland Council Planning treat these applications with the same level of scrutiny as the recently conceived Dunes Resilience project.”
Nairn Access Panel was also behind the creation of an accessible platform near the Splash pad in 2023 — however, the way this was built was deemed unfit for purpose by the panel, which prompted efforts to seek further adjustments to it.
The changes to the platform are currently undergoing planning consultation process, but it has received an objection from NWSCC on similar grounds to those presented for the footpaths, stating that the storm in 2023 inflicted “extensive damage” to the structure and that now allows sea surge to flood into the Links.
Commenting on the access panel’s response to the objections, Kevin Reid, chair of NWSCC, said that they were not aware of not aware of the paths planning applications until they were filed.
“We have had the flood risks outlined in the Highland Council’s Dynamic Adaptive Pathways report on our agenda since it was published, and we have helped facilitate involvement of the Climate Hub in community discussions and funding for the trial marram grass planting project.
“We can only repeat that the risks outlined in the report should encourage the whole community to come together to consider a long-term dune protection strategy, and we are simply calling for a pause on engineering works on the dunes until such a strategy is in place.”
“We agree with NAP that a dunes strategy will inevitably impact access for all, not just disabled people, which is why there’s already discussions taking place on ensuring maximum community engagement to justify actions. The trial marram grass project is a small but potentially landmark start to finding long term solutions to protect the dunes so that they can protect our community from the risks of flooding.”
Nairn River’s chair Hamish Bain concurred that they were made aware of the planning applications only when they were highlighted in the weekly planning report. “
“It would be counterproductive to pursue projects that modify the beach area if they are likely to have unsustainable or unforeseen environmental consequences. The collapse of a previously constructed platform further along the beach, which was built in response to Access Panel lobbying, has shown that such structures are highly susceptible to wave forces.
“NRCC members, several of whom are disabled, continue to call for a pause on any hard engineering works on the dunes until a strategy, including alternative solutions to hard concrete structures, is in place".