Beach Ranger

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

Happy New Year to everyone!

December was quiet until the festive break, when it became fantastically busy.

The fine, crisp weather and small clean waves brought people to the beach in their numbers.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day remain popular for those wishing to get out and enjoy the beach.

I attended regularly after reports of drowning incidents around the country became the talk of the beach. I tried, where possible to speak with those celebrating with a cold-water dip and give advice where it was welcome. I know it’s been happening for years, but not in the numbers seen recently.

The storms and high tides in early December delivered waves up to the road on more than one occasion. The sand and seaweed made a mess of the road and blocked the drains, so a request was made to Cormac to attend a make it safe again.

I attended when the tides were due to ensure safety to people and property as best I could.

Cormac also attended the adjust the boulders in the carpark. The effect of the high tides on the stones over the months made them appear sunken – like icebergs.

They were brought a couple of meters in and will be move a couple of meters back out again before Easter. The team also helped by dragging stones and shale across the river to form a small bank to keep the river out of the carpark in forthcoming months.

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

Autumn hasn't brought any surprises, so for this time of year it’s business as usual.

Visitor numbers dropped away completely after October half-term - more so than usual, with several businesses reducing hours and dropping days much sooner than in previous years.

The storms brought their usual problems but nothing catastrophic for the area.

Several dead, or injured seal pups have washed ashore having been separated from their mothers prematurely. These are recovered from the beach and then dealt with by either Cornwall Wildlife Trust, or British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Plenty of flotsam and jetsam also washing ashore and requiring removal and disposal.

The new Environmental Initiatives for the 2026 Blue Flag application have been created and submitted.

I attended the annual conference for the Cornwall Community Flood Forum, and connected with several partners who will assist in the evolution of the Community Flood Plan for Polzeath.

I've assisted Cornwall Council Coast Path team with fixed point photography and risk assessments so remedial work can be logged and prioritised without their attendance until necessary.

Cornwall Council have also filmed a short interview focused on my role for a documentary regarding the ‘invest to save’ roles and devolution.

I’ve engaged with the Police and Cornwall Council in October and November regarding two separate situations of homelessness and vulnerability. Individuals can often only be helped if they want to be helped, but signposting and community support are crucial and can prove to be lifesaving.

If anyone becomes aware of any ongoing concerns, please share as much information with me so I can keep the support agencies up to date.

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

April 2025

You will know that Easter was busy with fine weather and surf conditions.

The lifeguards started for the season with what will be a slightly scaled back level of cover due to reducing budgets. 

Easter is a good time for us to test services, and we ascertained that Cornwall Council have reduced their budget to Biffa, so Biffa are challenged to deliver the same standards with scaled back resourcing. To date, this has been problematic, with service level agreements not being met. Feedback has been given, and it is hoped that after early teething concerns, beach cleaning, bin emptying and road sweeping will reach the same high standards we are used to. 

With limited equipment (garden sheers) I have attempted to clear the denser areas of undergrowth from the coast path. I had received complaints that in one or two places, it was impassable or at least difficult. The coast path team have been made aware.  I have not received any update. 

Cormac adjusted the boulders surrounding the carpark. Whilst the boulders were still in place following storms, in the lower carpark, they had ‘sunk’ by a few inches. The boulders were moved outward by a meter or two along the whole length. This is likely to need doing twice yearly. 

Work started on the bank at the top of the beach below Sea View Carpark. The work was discussed and agreed between the Making Space for Sand Project and the owners of the carpark. In exchange for extra disabled parking, and an increased grace period before charging/fines commence, it was agreed that sleepers would be placed at the base of the bank, with steps providing safe access between the two levels. The bank will have seeded bags placed, which will vegetate hardy and attractive plants. Sleepers are not considered ‘sea defences’ and therefore not contrary to the Shoreline Management Plan. This work was not planned or managed by the Beach Ranger. 

There have been several incidents of graffiti in both New Polzeath and Polzeath Village, some of which was racist and offensive. I have managed to remove nearly all of it and will continue to work on the remaining bits. 

I randomly found a great den in the woods behind Coronation Gardens. It had clearly not been used during winter months, and whilst seemingly harmless, there was evidence of drugs misuse, and open fires – not great if the woodland was dry at the time. I have spoken with Cornwall Council who will dismantle and remove the den in due course.

There have been several people camping in the carpark in their motorhomes in recent weeks. Reports have been made to Cornwall Council. Please consider reporting this or similar parking offences to the Cornwall Council website. It’s quick and easy to do. 

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

June 2025

This season has been lass frantic than in the last few years, possibly returning to pre-COVID levels. Weekends and school holidays are still very busy, with Mon-Fri feeling more relaxed. 

The beach has been used for to photograph two high profile vehicle campaigns, including ‘Twisted’ and VW. Permission was granted by Cornwall Council and all relevant safety measures were in place. Polzeath is a high-profile beach and also attracts sporting events such as Surf Lifesaving competitions, and a FA Soccer Tournament. 

There have been issues (again) in both New Polzeath and Coronation Gardens toilets with nearly every surface having graffiti marked on it. Most of the marks are removed with a special spray, but some remain. 

We have assisted the lifeguards in establishing a protocol for the use of Kite Buggies and Wing Foiling (handheld inflatable wing and hydrofoil board). These sports are not specifically contrary to any legislation but can be considered dangerous if the beach is busy.

An arrest was made by the police after a car drove on to the beach, possibly to sell drugs. The car had no tax or insurance, and the driver had no license. The car also contained cannabis. The car was towed away and the driver detained. There has also been intelligence submitted from various sources regarding two Liverpudlian dealers in the area trying to ‘corner the market’. The police are aware, and we have been monitoring and recording any sightings. 

The spring tides caught one or two cars out again despite warnings on social media. We have now designed and taken delivery of additional signage for when high tides are anticipated. 

There has been a sharp increase in the use of drones in the area. Flying drones from, to, or over land without the owner’s permission is illegal, but the operators are difficult to locate. We will continue to monitor the situation with a focus on worrying livestock, invasion of privacy, and preventing rescue aircraft from operating/landing.

Biffa have been spread thinly this year and are now covering both Polzeath and Port Isaac with the same staff/time as they had for just Polzeath last year. 

There have been performance anomalies which have been highlighted with Biffa Management, but we are also supporting the clear-up when we can, so standards are maintained. I have also applied for a ‘Two-Minute Beach Clean Station’ for outside the office. They cost £500 to buy, but I have requested a charity donated station. 

As I mentioned in my last report, please consider using the online portal on the Cornwall Council website to report parking anomalies, including motor homes. 

You will remember, it can also successfully be used for potholes and blocked drains.

Please contact me if you have any issues or concerns.

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

July started well, with great weather, busy carparks, and lots of people around. Unfortunately, as usual, This comes with two weeks of bad behaviour in the evenings and night time. This year, I worked an evening shift until 2am in addition to covering the day shift. The local Police also attended each night with two officers. I closed the beach at midnight, telling the youths to clear their mess as they went.  The police follow up and reinforce the message, dealing with bad attitudes and behaviour where necessary. 

Once the beach is clear, we then face the challenge of getting them to actually go back to where they are staying. This year, there were several fights between schools, which is different to previous years, and something which changes the dynamic. There were two houses which were gate-crashed and trashed, significant litter (bottles and cans) in nearby streets, the usual drunkenness and underage sex, and plenty of noise and general disorder. I carried one girl (15yrs) from the edge of the water to the carpark. She was on her own, couldn’t walk or talk. Thankfully the tide was going out. She was collected by her parents who were given stern words of advice. 

There will be a formal debrief to discuss tolerance levels and a strategy for next year. 

Since that 2 week period in early July we have suffered additional ASB. 

• There were road signs placed precariously in trees which had to be removed as they presented a danger to pedestrians

• Public Rescue Equipment tampered with.

Openreach saw the Beach Ranger social media post and took the rescue equipment down that day, and Cormac attended with a new one as the old one will need to be checked and serviced. 

• Cones and carpark signs broken and thrown around.

We have CCTV images of those responsible, but policy dictates we cannot use footage to ID the youths because of the ages of those involved.

As previously mentioned, Biffa have been struggling to meet their Service Level Agreements due to staffing issues and budget constraints. 

I have raised this with them several times, and an assessor recently graded the beach and surrounding area as a  grade C , when it should be  grade A. 

Biffa are now changing their staffing rota in order to meet their targets. I will continue to monitor and provide feedback. 

The beach carpark had 11 motorhomes camping overnight in the last weekend of July. There were also several in New Polzeath. This has been reported to Cornwall Council using the online portal. This many campers place pressure on local services that are already seeing significantly heavy use (toilets, showers, water use etc.) as well as the environmental impact of many vans having their drainage tanks open. If Parish Councillors or Parishioners notice parking anomalies, they can be reported using the portal and inputting postcode PL27 6TB. Polzeath Beach displays in the drop-down menu along with all the other streets. 

We continue to challenge the use of powered hydrofoils in the area together with the Lifeguards and Harbour Master. Rapidly developing technology makes it difficult to stay ahead of the curve with legislation and the use of toys for grown-ups! Most people stop when requested, and if the situation was to become too dangerous, the police would also become involved. 

Finally, the deceased beaver that washed up is believed to have come from the River Camel, despite the fact there are no legitimate colonies or releases in that area.  The Marine Pathologist says it was likely to have strayed too far from it’s natural habitat and suffered salt water intoxication during a spring high tide. 

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

August was as busy as you would expect, with lots of people in the area putting a strain on resources. At times it felt we were creaking at the seams, with all carparks full, and the water and beach nearing safe capacity. 

An illegally operating surf school has been recorded several times with evidence being passed to Cornwall Council requesting more robust action. Seemingly, the same thing happens each year, and conversations are now being had at senior level due to capacity concerns as reported. 

There is another trailer at the top of the beach linked with Clever Trevor. It’s a converted horse box for serving teas, coffees and snacks, and is likely to be there next year too. This further adds to the complication of vehicles on the beach, as the workers and suppliers drive and park where they want. 

We had several incidents where random beach users assumed they could park at the top of the beach as a carpark overflow. At one point, the owners of the upper beach used their truck to block other people in, so they couldn’t leave. Not ideal for a Blue Flag Beach, and a conversation to have before next season in the hope that the private owners might support a beach-wide policy to reduce vehicular movements and increase safety.

We have dealt with several incidents of ‘wild camping', particularly in the grassy areas overlooking the beach at New Polzeath. Most have been resolved with engagement and education, but two resulted in evidence being passed to Cornwall Council for PSPOs to be considered. 

The issue of motorhomes/campervans parking overnight continues. It is less prevalent than it once was in New Polzeath, but still exists nonetheless. The August Bank Holiday saw 17 ‘over-nighters' in the beach carpark, two of which have been present for 10 weeks. Cornwall Council are aware, and have occasionally attended to fine those involved. The fine is £30. 

The camp site costs £60+

The Rangers help to maintain the beach toilets daily in peak season as their use and abuse intensifies. We regularly replenish soap and toilet tolls from the stock cupboard, tightening taps and checking flushes and drainage. 

The Bank Holiday weekend was incredibly busy! Big waves and high tides accentuated pressures. The village was frequently gridlocked due to people parking illegally on the pavement above the bridge and near the shops. On one occasion it took me 30 minutes to round the corner at the top of the hill having left my office, and I wonder what an ambulance or fire engine might do. 

It’s difficult to manage the high tides with waves during such a busy time, and we were grateful of Coastguard support once the lifeguards had finished for the day. We tried to keep beach users from the danger areas, but at one point during an early morning tide, a four-year-old child was swept by a strong surge upstream, under the bridge and past the Marine Centre. The child’s father also entered the water and was swept the same distance. Both were helped from the water, checked over in my office and treated for minor injuries with advice re possible secondary drowning. 

Our volunteer Tim has been of great benefit – popping in for two or three hours once or twice a week during peak times. 

Together with those who help to clean the beach, and search for lost items using metal detectors, it's great to see so many residents or regular visitors trying to positively influence what happens in Polzeath and how the town is seen and portrayed. 

Beach Ranger Report to Polzeath Village CIC & Parish Councils

A short report this month as we take a step back from peak season. 

I’ve had a debrief with both Biffa and Cormac regarding contracts and service delivery during the summer of 2025. The bins and road cleaning schedule will now revert to winter schedules, although they can meet increased demand out of season if necessary. 

The boulders currently need digging out at the bottom of the carpark due to the sinking effect in wet sand over time. The team have agreed to roll the stone in a couple of meters for winter, and then back out again before next season starts. 

There has been a lot of activity near the pipes and drains across the beach in recent weeks due to a leak. Thankfully the beach has been quiet, and the work has been unhampered. A drain under the sand near the Wavehunters trailers is due to be dug up for further research and repairs. 

The Polzeath CIC held their first event during October, and it was considered a great success. A separate update will follow from the CIC.

During the same weekend, the annual Jess Memorial Surf Competition took place. It was well attended, with great weather and surf conditions. 

The dog restrictions have come to an end for this season. On some days in September, the only people on the beach were dog walkers despite not being allowed. 

Striking the balance between what the legislation says, and the practical application is often difficult. The Rangers tend to ‘get it in the neck’ daily either way, so it’s nice to relax into October!

Please continue to report blocked drains, potholes and parking anomalies via the Cornwall Council website. It’s easy to do and an efficient/timely way to get things done.