BUSINESSES want to know why it has taken four days for North East Lincolnshire Council to remove huge mounds of sand from Cleethorpes Promenade.
At the time of going to press, the seafront road remained closed from the junction near Willys Pub and Brewery all the way down to Wonderland Market.
Oddball's Crazy Golf owner Terry Procter has been closed for two days after his course was swallowed by a foot of sand on Sunday.
He claims this is because sand blew from the makeshift bank built by NELC to protect the promenade.
Mr Procter said: "I understand you can't control nature but this has been going on since Friday.
"Building that bank was an act of complete stupidity, in my opinion. It has made the sand go up in the air and land on my golf course. Because of their complete lack of activity, the sand has built up. We're having a complete disaster."
Jason Longhurst, head of development at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "We're doing all we can to remove the drifting sand, but we are being hampered by the very strong easterly winds.
"The current low tide means the sand is very dry and this is making the situation worse. Teams using excavators, diggers and tractors have been working to move the drifting sand, but wind speeds of about 45mph are making this difficult. Sand is likely to continue to drift until the inclement weather ends."
Editor's Comment FOR business owners and traders in Cleethorpes, Easter is the traditional start to their holiday season. With children off school for at least a fortnight, the family day visitors are of vital importance. A boost at this time of the year can make a substantial difference to the whole of the year – and, in turn, to the local economy. Good weather is key, of course and let us hope that the temperatures start to rise a little towards the weekend – without that, there will be a significant downturn in the numbers visiting. And, let us also hope that something can be done about the huge mounds of sand that have built up due to the fierce easterly winds that have battered our coastline for the last few weeks. For, if things do not change quickly, our early tourist boost is unlikely to happen. The rail issues, again, those traders can do nothing about – but it must feel like they are fighting a losing battle on so many fronts at this present time. The trade gained from the South Yorkshire tourist is significant – day trippers coming off the direct train right into the resort means cash ringing in the tills of our traders. Resort business owners are right to be concerned about their success over the coming weeks. Hopefully this freezing spring weather can be replaced by a sunshine summer – giving us all a ray of hope and those traders a magnificent boost. *Are you a trader who is worried about the 2013 season – or are you a visitor who is planning a trip here? Follow the editor on Twitter @michellelalor
