A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER aged 97 has said it is one of her last wishes to be able to access Fairbourne beach again five years since the loss of a mobility ramp.

Joyce Currie, who was born in 1925, has been visiting the village and enjoying its sandy two-mile long beach her entire life.

But Gwynedd Council removed the ramp which enabled access for those with mobility issues in 2020 after it was damaged in storms in 2018, and it has never been replaced - prompting fury among residents.

Villagers started a petition - which gained more than 1,000 signatures - along with Ms Currie to get the ramp reinstated. They even pooled enough money together to finance it themselves. But they have since been unable to get planning permission.

Ms Currie, who will be 98 in March, loved Fairbourne so much she permanently relocated to the village 27 years ago - moving to a house close enough so she could access the “most beautiful beach around”.

But after the council’s decision to remove the ramp there is a treacherous and steep bank of stones standing between beach-goers and the iconic shoreline.

She says it is a race against time for a new ramp to be built to she can get on to the beach again.

“It would be absolutely wonderful to get down to the beach again,” Ms Currie told the Cambrian News.

“They could push me down in a wheelchair because I don’t walk very well now.

“I could probably go with my walker if it wasn’t too steep and if there was a handrail.

“But the days are getting limited.

“I’m getting weaker and more unsteady every week or two I notice.

“I wouldn’t be able to go in the water anymore but it would be nice for when my great-granddaughters come – it would be so lovely to go down to the beach with them again.

“I would love to sit and watch them play.

“It’s a beautiful, safe beach and I love it when it’s dead calm and I love it when it’s rough.

“I’ve always loved the beach here and I’ve been coming all my life with my family.

“It’s my natural home environment – this is where I belong.

“I wanted to be within walking distance to the beach. But I can’t access it now the ramp has gone. I think the council has washed their hands of it – because we funded it ourselves and it’s still being held up.”

The council originally removed it due to its dangerous condition following storm damage.

Gwynedd Council confirmed it would cease defending Fairbourne from rising sea levels and flood encroachment in 2013 – prompting media hysteria about its potential depopulation and demolition by as early as 2054.

Gwynedd councillor Louise Hughes told the Cambrian News: “After what the villagers have been through, the biggest insult was the destruction and removal of the concrete ramp down onto the beach, which has never been replaced.

“It would go a long way as a goodwill gesture to the community for the council to replace the ramp.”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “For a number of years a concrete slipway was located near the car park on Penrhyn Drive South in Fairbourne.

“The slipway was removed following damage caused in 2017 due to significant undermining of the structure caused by storm and natural coastal processes.

“The development of a new beach access ramp has been identified as a priority by the local community. An initial feasibility study was carried out in 2021 which identifies a number of issues and environmental considerations which would need to be addressed.

“Given the dynamic nature of the location, there are frequent changes to the beach profile including the natural material forming the upper foreshore which provides a natural, albeit fragile costal storm buffer zone for the area.

“There are concerns that the positioning of a permanent structure on the natural pebble bank could further affect coastal processes and the natural defence for Fairbourne.

“A range of matters would need to be assessed fully in applying for statutory consents such as planning permission, marine licence and Flood Risk Activity Permit which would be required for such a structure.

“Following recent discussions we are also looking at what temporary measures might be available to improve access to the beach.”