GWYNEDD Council plans to start charging town and community councils £732 per beach to apply for the Blue Flags has sparked outrage.

Gwynedd Council has sent a letter to every town and community council in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd saying that the county’s maritime and parks service is unable to meet the costs of beach award applications in 2016.

Instead the local authority is now asking town and community councils to make a contribution towards the Blue Flag application, done through Keep Wales Tidy, for beaches in their areas.

Cllr Jason Humphreys, who represents Porthmadog East on Gwynedd Council, told the Cambrian News he found the plans “unbelievable” after a letter received by the council said they would have to pay £732 towards the Blue Flag award for Black Rock Sands.

He said: “This just goes to show how disconnected Gwynedd Council has become from people’s sentiments.

“Black Rock Sands was snatched away from Porthmadog and Criccieth councils during the local government reorganisation of 1974. Since then, there has been seething resentment here because most of the cash surplus has been diverted elsewhere by Dwyfor and then Gwynedd Council.

“Last year, there was an operating surplus of some £60,000 from Black Rock Sands.

“Anyone with half a business brain should realise that a Blue Flag is a vital marketing factor in this.”

See full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News