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A NEW FACE FOR NEWQUAY?
Proposed development at England's Surf City causes a stir |
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September 8, 2001 Fistral Beach is about as far away from Tavarua as you can get and still go surfing. Apart from the obvious flaws -- freezing cold, oftentimes polluted water, winds that howl in every direction at once and warbling, underhead swells -- England's most famous surfing beach has been feeling the effects of years of inland holiday-makers and lager fans. The bathrooms are scarred with graffiti, the parking lot's jacked and many of the buildings surrounding the beach are a wee bit rusty. It seems, as one observer remarked, "rode hard and put away wet."
But that could all be change by next summer. In a move that's gotten mixed reviews from Newquay locals, Fistral may be getting a bit of a makeover over the next 8 months. A private company called Britannic Industries has proposed a $5 million investment in the little beach town, complete with new restaurants, bathrooms, shower facilities, lifeguards and parking lots.
According to many, Newquay's needed renovations for years, but the local council hasn't been able to finance it. As John Weller, leader of Restormel council told a local paper, "there hasn't been investment on the beaches around Newquay since the 1960s and, although we are putting in a contribution, we cannot finance it all out of public funds."
Up until now, Fistral -- as with most of England's beaches -- has been controlled and developed by the town council. Some local surfers fear that a private company may be able to exert its influence and restrict access to keep so-called 'undesirables' out. Barrie Hall, of the British Surfing Association, disagrees. "No one will lose access to the beach," he said. "It's British law that the sand is public land." You may have to pay to park, but no one can charge you to make sandcastles, in other words.
As Linda Briant, a director of Britannic told the local paper, "I don't think the British public are yet willing to pay directly for sitting on a beach." The company plans to make its money back from activities and catering.
Couple the fancy development with Newquay's proposed artificial reef project that's already moving ahead, and maybe Fistral will be closer to Tavarua than the map might lead you to believe -- except with pints of lager instead of bowls of kava. --Marcus Sanders
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