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SHINGLES BAR: Southbourne residents Norman and Sylvia Swift walking their dog Ben over the shingle that is now sitting in large amounts on Southbourne beach. Picture: Richard Crease. ID:4249223

WILL the problem of shingle on one of the South Coast's premier beaches be resolved in time for summer? That's "the 64,000 dollar question," a Bournemouth council chief has admitted.

Now a seafront restaurateur has warned that the resort's reputation for its golden sands could be shattered forever if Southbourne beach is not restored to its former glory by the start of the tourist season. And the borough's head of leisure services Roger Brown told the Daily Echo he wasn't sure where the money would come from to get the situation sorted.

Gravel, stone, flint and shell was piled on the stretch of beach to protect it from erosion as part of a replenishment scheme. Shingle mixed with sand was originally used but wind and waves have swept the sand away.

Tourism officials have stressed that the town still has 6.9 miles of golden sands unaffected by the problem.

Mr Brown said: "There does need to be coarser material at Southbourne to prevent erosion because it is more exposed. But we are looking into ways of covering the shingle with sand.

"Whether we can turn Southbourne into an amenity beach in time for the summer is the 64,000 dollar question."

Mr Brown added that work could not start until the spring when the weather should have improved. Because the first phase was carried out according to the contract, the council will have to pay for any more work.

He admitted that he did not know how much it would cost or where the money would come from. He stressed that the problem would not happen with the current beach replenishment work because a finer grade of material was being used.

IN SANDIER TIMES: Southbourne beach before the replenishment scheme

A period of resettlement is expected but nothing has improved since last winter and hoteliers, surfers and residents are angry after witnessing their sandy beach transform- ed before their eyes.

Bournemouth Borough Council is scheduling urgent meetings to find out how the situation can be rectified in time for the summer season.

Sheila Ryan, whose beachfront restaurant overlooks the stretch of shingle beach, said: "It's terrible and my fear is that if the situation isn't sorted by the summer the consequences will be disastrous.

"People have long memories and if they arrive to find our sandy beach has gone they won't come back. People expect a pebbly beach in Brighton but don't expect to find Southbourne beach covered with flint.

"If things don't improve soon it will be devastating for local businesses like mine."

Sylvia and Norman Swift, of Southbourne Coast Road, regularly walk their dog on Southbourne beach and have lived in the area for 30 years.

Mr Swift said it had changed from the "loveliest beach you could imagine" to "rough sand and stones" and bad weather was making the situation worse.

"Children can't play on the beach anymore," he said. "The sharp, flint stones will cut their feet to pieces."

9:44am Monday 15th January 2007

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