Plymouth City Council has closed a beach in Mount Batten following the discovery of ‘hazardous waste’.

In a statement last Friday, the local authority revealed that testing of the sand at Mount Batten beach had shown high levels of asbestos fibres.

The council confirmed that asbestos had been used in building construction, with material containing asbestos on the beach having first being identified in 2019 – albeit at a very low level.

Signage has since been installed to alert those visiting the beach, which had been deemed safe to use.

However, the latest sand samples found that two asbestos types were present, while the contractor has determined that the levels equate to ‘hazardous waste’.

Highlighting that asbestos fibres are hazardous if inhaled, the council has said that a decision to close the beach has been made by the Director of Public Health and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to ‘protect the public from the potential risks to health from asbestos fibres’.

Regular collection of the materials from the beach has previously been carried out every two months, but the beach is now to be closed until further notice so further testing and investigations can be completed.

Professor Steve Maddern, Plymouth Director of Public Health, said: ‘Closing a beach that is well used by local residents is the last thing we want to do and we understand the disappointment this will cause but the latest sand samples are concerning and we must prioritise the safety of the public.  

‘We need to carry out further tests, including assessing the risk of airborne fibres and conducting a further survey to try and trace exactly where the materials are coming from.’

He added that beachgoers should observe the signage and refrain from entering closed areas.

‘Once we have carried out further tests we will know what needs to be done to reduce the risks on the beach’, he said.