A CORNWALL councillor has warned that one of the region’s much-loved beaches ‘needs our help’.

Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for housing and councillor for Bude, Peter La Broy, has raised concerns about the future of Crooklets Beach, highlighting the beach’s damaged sea wall.

He says steps near the huts along the beach are at risk of becoming unstable in the ‘not so distant future’. However, the councillor’s concern stretches beyond the steps, suggesting their potential collapse could be just the beginning, resulting in further damage and harm to the beach.

In a video message on social media he explained: “Sometime in the last 50 or 60 years there has been some concrete reinforcement [...] to that bank, and now it’s getting undermined close to the top of the steps.”

The sand bank underneath the structure has been worn away, resulting in the potential for further damage. However, despite concerns, Cllr La Broy has suggested that the Environment Agency are ‘not keen’ to carry out repairs.

He said: “Under the principle of managed realignment, the Environment Agency is not keen to repair this, I believe.”

As such, he is considering a campaign on the matter.

“I’m wondering whether this should be my next campaign piece,” he said. “Because I am concerned that if this doesn’t get repaired, then we will be facing a situation where, in the not too distant future, the steps at Crooklets might be undermined and collapsed.”

As a result, if the steps were to collapse, Cllr La Broy believes it could have a detrimental impact on the beach.

He continued: “We will have to reroute the path behind the beach huts, and it will make a dramatic difference to Crooklets, because if that part goes, it could begin to undermine the rest of (the sea wall).

“But my belief is that with a bit of sensitive work [...] we could probably easily get 50-plus years worth of life out of Crooklets.”