CONCERNS about climate change have led planning officers to refuse plans to allow a beachside campsite on the Rame Peninsula to continue.

Sandway Beach in Kingsand has been used as a summer campsite for many decades.

The simple site, run by a local association, consists of 20 canvas tents erected on a strip of land just below the cliff and above the high water mark.

Each tent screws down into a concrete base and brackets are also used for protection in windy weather: fresh water and a septic tank is provided.

An application had been made by Timothy Fishleigh of Sandway Campers Association for the site to continue to be used between April and September each year.

The Environment Agency were opposed to the plan saying that wave action can be significant, and does pose a risk to camp site users, particularly when strong winds blowing from a southerly to easterly direction coincide with a Spring tide. They acknowledged that the application was for the summer months when weather conditions which would lead to waves inundating the site are relatively uncommon.

But said: “This can happen and would pose a serous risk to life to occupiers of the site”.

They referenced witnessing waves overtopping the site in August 2020.

Planning officers recommended refusal because the applicant had failed to demonstrate that the site is not at risk from flooding and wave action which will be exacerbated as the effects of climate change on sea level rise and increased ‘storminess’.

Maker with Rame Parish Council had supported the application. They said that the site was a “longstanding and traditional summer camp”. But the parish council had “agreed to disagree” with the planning officer’s recommendation, meaning that the decision to refuse the plan could be taken under delegated powers.

The planning officer said: “Sympathy is held for the association in that this is clearly a much-loved campsite, fostering a small summertime community each year, and it may be that occupants are well versed in the risk from wave action at certain high tides or weather conditions. However, this does not detract from the very real safety risks from using the campsite which are increasing with the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.”

The fallback position, noted the planning officer, so long as the landowner gives permission, is that the campsite could continue to operate under permitted rights for up to 28 days per year (56 currently and until December 2021).