Making Hastings Beaches Accessible to All
By Elaine Saunders
I love living in Hastings. I love the hustle and bustle of a busy day along the coast. The long expansive promenade is a wonderful place to walk – and being flat, is accessible to all. Not so the shingle beach, but as an able-bodied person, I had always taken for granted being able to walk over the pebbles – or down the groynes for a dip in the sea.
Empty beaches, soon to be packed
Things changed for me last year during Covid, and I now have a disability. On some days I can get down to the shore, but on others it’s difficult and I can’t do so without becoming exhausted. A friend recently made a comment on social media about the lack of assistance for those less able when she too had a tough time trying to get up the shingle with crutches, having to spend the next day in bed.
This got me thinking about our beaches: why in 2021 when inclusivity is so important – and Hastings has always prided itself on being inclusive – do we not have accessible beaches? Another friend of mine contacted the council around five years ago about accessibility for her 22-year-old son and was told the council was looking into it; apparently, a beach wheelchair is now available but it’s not enough. Accessibility to our beaches for the less able is particularly important at a time when so many of us are suffering from mental health issues.
Folkestone, which has a similar shoreline, has created a great boardwalk. Something like that could easily be constructed here with staging points so families with wheelchairs could be right there on the beach. In Herne Bay, they have a concrete slip way next to a man-made harbour arm; we also have an area that could be used next to Rock-a-Nore beach to the right, so as not to interfere with the fishing boats.
These things we take for granted need to be available for all
In New Zealand they use mats to create easier access to the water, and these are then taken up at night. A specific beach could be used as the accessible beach, such as the one near Azur.
Since starting the petition on change.org, I’ve been surprised by the incredible number of people who are not able to use the beach, and something needs to change. It would be fabulous to be able to hire beach wheelchairs so people can walk by the sea and have the opportunity to feel the sea in between their toes.
These things we take for granted need to be available for all. So please take a moment and sign the petition to help make the beaches of Hastings and
St Leonards accessible.
• Elaine is also trying to talk about this matter to the council directly.
At the time of going to print, 1,662 people had signed the petition.
• To sign yourself go to tinyurl.com/4dvsweka
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