There will be no excuses for members of the public not to go out and enjoy Gwynedd’s fantastic coastline following significant improvement work on a series of coastal footpaths across the county.
As part of the Wales Coast Path, Gwynedd Council is carrying out work along the 180-mile coastline as part of the project to create a continuous path so that people can walk all along the Welsh coast.
Over the past twelve months, Gwynedd Council has invested almost £500,000 on improvements at various locations, with work carried out to improve and create new footpaths at Nant Gwrtheyrn; Nantporth near Bangor; between Neigwl and Llanengan on the Llŷn Peninsula; Morfa Aber at Abergwyngregyn; Harlech; Aberdyfi and Tywyn.
Further improvements worth approximately £750,000 will be undertaken at various locations along the Gwynedd coastline during 2011/12.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Gwynedd Council’s Senior Portfolio Leader for the Environment said:
“It is great to see work progressing well at various locations as part of the coastal path programme. We hope the Wales Coast Path will attract more visitors to our wonderful coastline which will also provide a welcome boost for the local economy.
“However, it is also important that local people make the most of the new coastal path, and it is good to see that improvements including making footpaths more accessible for members of the public. What better way to enjoy Gwynedd’s stunning coastal scenery than by walking along the new coastal path.
“Officers from the Council’s coastal path team are working closely with landowners and local communities to deliver this important project, and we look forward to further improvements on coastal footpaths at various locations over the coming months.”
Rhys Roberts, Gwynedd Council Coastal Access Project Officer added:
“This is a truly exciting project which will see a total investment of approximately £3.5 million in Gwynedd’s public footpath network.
“Work includes improving existing coastal rights of way and developing new routes where no coastal paths exist. Whilst a challenging target, the majority of the work will be completed by May 2012, with the remainder of the improvements to be completed by March 2013.”
The completion of an 850 mile long all Wales Coast Path by 2012 is a key Welsh Government commitment. The development programme is managed by the Countryside Council for Wales and funded by the Welsh Government, the European Regional Development Fund and the sixteen local councils and two national parks through which the path passes.
