Fears Whipsiderry Beach steps will be 'permanently' blocked off after cliff falls

A campaign group opposing a clifftop housing development near Newquay fears access to the beach below will be permenantly blocked off, following three major cliff falls.

Cornwall Council has installed a locked gate at the top of the steps to Whipsiderry Beach which it says is a "temporary safety feature."

But campaign group Save Whipsiderry Cliffs, who are opposing a clifftop housing development on the site, fears it will never be removed.

Developer, Living Quarter Properties Porth, has been given planning permission to build seven holiday homes on top of the cliffs above the beach.

Drilling and excavation work had begun on the beach below the site in early 2023, with diggers craned onto the sand to pull rocks to backfill cliff caves.

License to continue these works was later suspended, following concerns over the stability of the cliffs.

A cliff fall happened at the site on Wednesday 29 November 2023.

A second occurred just weeks later on 19 December, and a third on the morning of Saturday 13 April.

• Footage of the third Whipsiderry cliff fall

In response to the installation of a lockable gate, a spokesperson for Save Whipsiderry Cliffs said: "We have been made aware that Cornwall Council intend to install a lockable gate at the top of Whipsiderry steps, to prevent the public from accessing the beach via this route.

"The recent rockfalls, which happened after the drilling & excavations, have weakened the cliff face meaning there is a risk of further falls, and therefore a risk to public safety.

"This planned lockable gate is to prevent the public from accessing a potentially dangerous environment.

"Whilst we accept this closure is for the benefit of public safety, we believe the decision to install a permanent lockable gate should not be made behind closed doors and that a public consultation should take place and include other consultees such as the emergency services & RNLI, as it has been previously stated that these steps are a vital exit route to prevent tidal cutoff.

"In addition, we want the opportunity for Cornwall Council to make public their plans for the future of this beach and the public access.

"The installation of a lockable gate feels like they are locking up and walking away, leaving the public robbed of a much loved asset.

"We will be requesting that Cornwall Council go to public consultation on this matter."

Cornwall Council says it has no plans to make the gate a permanent feature, but says it must remain "for the foreseeable future" whilst cliff falls persist.

A spokesperson said: "The gate is not being installed as a permanent arrangement but as a temporary safety feature at the top of the Council owned steps down to the beach.

"The steps have been closed for safety reasons with temporary fencing in place since a cliff fall at the end of November.

"Unfortunately, people have been moving the fencing, so the gate is being put in place to deter people from using the steps to access the beach and potentially put themselves and others at risk.

"The steps will have to remain closed for the foreseeable future whilst cliff falls persist and the unstable debris pile at the base of the cliff remains in situ.

"Natural processes will eventually erode and remove this material allowing for a more detailed stability assessment, however at present there is a high potential for further cliff falls.

"The Council has already consulted both the RNLI and coastguard on the move to install the gate. Emergency services will be able to access the steps.

"The advice is to please stay away from the cliffs and be aware that with the steps closed, there is a risk of getting cut off by the tide if walking along the beach from Porth towards Watergate."