A hotelier has been left fuming after he spends a whopping £1,000 every week to clear away sand from the terrace of his beach-front property.
The hotel manager is now accusing his local council of failing to take action, and is ready to take a stand, reports the Mirror.
John Butterworth, manager of the Sandbanks Hotel in Poole, Dorset, has said the issue has gotten to the point that there's barely a distinction of where the beach begins and the hotel walls end. He also added that dogs are able to jump between the two with ease, leaving his property a mess.
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Hotel staff have claimed that people have told them, "you're on a beach, deal with it" - but they feel the council should be bearing some responsibility when helping to keep the hotel maintained.
John said: "We have been here as a family-run business for over 60 years and this hotel alone pays at least £4,000 in council tax a week. All we ask is that they clear the build-up of sand to stop it coming over - but they just won't.
"What annoys me is that we see council bulldozers come and clear the area by the public toilets when the sand blows over. So it seems to us that they'll clear the areas that benefit them, but not a local business. It's a disgrace."
Colleague Jo Clements also believes that the council should be doing more to help beachside businesses ahead of the busy summer period.
Jo added: "I'm so angry, it's soul-destroying. This sets a very poor example to our visitors. This terrace is also used for a takeaway pizza facility for people on the beach, how are they supposed to reach it when the steps are buried in sand?
"People will say, 'you're on a beach, deal with it'. It's not about that, it's about the council not maintaining it."
Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council has noted that they are not responsible for clearing sand from private hotel grounds - but they are responsible for managing the beaches.
The council also added that they have prioritised maintaining emergency vehicle access along the 12-mile promendage - but the seafront team has cleared sand from the front of the hotel.
A council spokesperson has made the following statement: "Whilst we look to undertake planned management of sand on the rest of the beach, storm events and other operational pressures - such as the recent Bay Run along the Prom - can result in us needing to adjust our schedule.
"We are aware of the Sandbanks Hotel's concerns about banked sand on the beach close to their terrace. Our seafront team have now been able to carry out the beach-clearing activity in this area, resulting in the removal of the bulk of sand in front of the hotel.
"Due to the caution required, so damage is not caused to the wall, there is likely to still be some build-up of sand remaining against the wall as the tractor cannot scrape along it."
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