Blackpool Sands near Dartmouth is celebrating a new boardwalk thanks to a grant to part-fund its cost. A grant of £8,091 was secured from Defra’s ‘Access for All’ funding to make the South Devon National Landscape more accessible for people of all ages and abilities, It is part of a wider government initiative to make all protected landscapes ‘places for everyone’.
Owners of Blackpool Sands undertook extensive research, such as visits to other sites with boardwalks and spent time testing panels on the beach for strength, durability and colour. It was decided the clear winner was the recycled plastic boardwalk panels from The Plastic Company, locally based in Ivybridge and headed by Steve Lees. The boardwalk is made of almost 10 tonnes of recycled soft plastic waste such as crisp packets and bread bags the kind that isn’t easily recyclable at scale. This is then injected into moulds to form boardwalk sections which are linked together and placed on the beach to provide two pathways.
Claire Gillo Photography
Roger English, Manager of South Devon National Landscape said “We are thrilled to have been able to contribute to this project via our ‘Access for All’ fund. It is exactly what the funding is meant for and will increase the opportunities for all visitors to benefit from the full beauty and tranquility of Blackpool Sands.
Geoffrey Newman, of Blackpool Sands, said “Now that the boardwalk has been laid it is evident that people are taking full advantage of this easy access path to visit parts of the beach they were unable to reach in the past. A huge thank you to South Devon National Landscape for helping to make this happen and to The Plastic Company for supplying and installing this boardwalk.”
Steve Lees, Managing Director of The Plastic Company, said “We’re proud to have been a part of this project, which stands as a testament to the potential of recycling in addressing environmental challenges while enhancing public spaces. Waste soft plastics, such as those used in the construction of these boardwalks, are a growing concern for the environment. These materials are notoriously difficult to recycle and often end up polluting our landscapes and oceans.”
