North Wales MS Mark Isherwood who for over 9 years has been campaigning with disabled people and others across Flintshire to remove barriers along the Wales Coastal Path, has welcomed news that Flintshire County Council have agreed to remove them, but said the Campaign Group will keep fighting until the last one comes down.
Flintshire Council issued a press statement last week announcing they would gradually remove the barriers, and at a meeting with the Campaign Group this week, which Mr Isherwood joined online from Cardiff, the Leader of Flintshire Council recognised that there were legitimate concerns over the use of the barriers, and stated that that they would be removed over a scheduled period, with the first being taken down before Christmas.
Welcoming the progress, Mr Isherwood said:
“Having been actively involved in this campaign from the onset, I am thrilled that Flintshire County Council have finally seen sense and agreed to remove these barriers creating access for all.
“However, given that the work will be done in a phased process, we will continue putting the pressure on the local authority until the very last barrier is taken down.
“We have been told that Saltney Ferry will be the first area where the barriers will be removed before Christmas, with the barriers being removed in Connahs Quay at the start of the new year and those further up the coast being removed after April.
“The Flintshire Coastal Path is a beautiful place to visit with such diverse landscapes and beauty and the campaign group strongly highlighted the opportunities to celebrate and increase the use of the coastline.
“It may have taken nine years, but it shows what communities can achieve when they come together. I thank and congratulate everyone who has been involved in this campaign, and I look forward to this path being fully accessible in the future.”