Cleaning up Largs Beach

For North Ayrshire and Arran Constituency's Scottish Conservative Social Action Day project, Westminster Candidate Philip Lardner led a clean-up of Largs beach.

Along with Philip and local Councillor Elisabethe Marshall, local litter-pickers cleared drinks cans and bottles, plastic and general man-made debris from the rocks at the pier along Largs promenade's beach towards the Gogo Burn.

Philip said, “With the North Ayrshire coast’s beaches being so important both to the local economy and enjoyment of local people, we thought we’d try to tidy up the beach at Largs.”

Much of the rubbish collected had clearly been discarded after take-away meals, raising the wider issue of packaging waste.  “The polystyrene used in the pizza boxes and chip trays could easily have been replaced with cardboard,” said Philip, “and although people should be using the bins in the first place, at least cardboard packaging would naturally break down, unlike the old plastic ones.”

During the clean-up, Philip came across blocked drainage outfalls amongst the promenade's rock armour, which may have contributed to recent flooding in Largs.

Philip said, "There are four Combined Sewerage Outfalls (CSO's) at that point.  Two are able to discharge but another two are jammed shut by the rock armour.  How long these rocks have been there I’m not sure, but given the recent flooding of the lower part of the Main Street it might be the case that this has been exacerbated by the blocking of two of the CSO's."

Councillor Elisabethe Marshall has contacted North Ayrshire Council to have the matter urgently investigated.

Philip continued, “These outfalls have a blue metal non-return cover which has to swing open to release storm drainage into the Clyde.  Two of them have massive rocks pressing immediately against the covers making this impossible, which would have presumably have meant flood water backing up the drains.  Councillor Marshall is right to call for urgent investigation of these blocked covers, as they could potentially be the reason why recent heavy rain has caused such a flooding problem in the lower parts of Main Street.  This must be investigated carefully and quickly to see if freeing-up the outfall covers could help avoid a repeat of the flooding and the damage it has caused to local shops and businesses.”

Philip added, "Social Action Projects are a great way for people to work together, form friendships and contribute to local communities.  Thanks to our clean up in Largs, we may also have discovered the cause of persistent flooding, thereby making the day doubly worthwhile."

Philip will be organising another beach clean-up at Portencross, near West Kilbride, for Saturday 14th November.