25 March 2026

Sand recycling work will be starting at Summerleaze week commencing Monday 30 March 2026

Cornwall Council and Bude & Stratton Town Council are working together on a short‑term programme to manage wind‑blown sand at Summerleaze Beach while strengthening the long‑term health of the dune system.

This work forms part of the Future Coast Bude project and will run from March 2026 to March 2027.

Community consultation about the future of the coast will be taking place during this time and will help shape the long-term plan for the coastline here. For background about this work information can be found here: Summerleaze Sand Recycling & Dune Care Plan (2026–2027) – January 2026 update | Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

What work is happening?

Local contractors JB Groundworks and Utilities will be moving the wind blown-sand off a number of the car parking spaces in Summerleaze car park and moving this sand onto the front of the sand dune.

The work is expected to take around 4 days with work planned to be completed in advance of the Easter weekend.

During this time, machinery will be used to move sand which has blown onto car parking spaces and will be moved through the beach access way to the south of RNLI building. It will then be relocated onto the rock armour (large boulders) which are on the seaward side of the dune. The contractor will work from north to south - placing sand close to the northern access route first, and working southwards along the line of rock armour.

You will see a digger in the car park and a digger on the beach. The southern access route will be fenced off to the public whilst this work is taking place. There will also be parts of the car park that will be fenced off to keep the public safe.

When this work is complete, the contractor will undertake minor works to the RNLI access route to try and reduce the amount of sand blowing onto the car park in the future. Alongside this, work will be undertaken to stabilise the sand in this area, by planting marram grass.

The work is being planned closely with the RNLI and the Bude Dunes Group, and the contract will be managed by Cormac to ensure all health and safety requirements are met. Natural England have also been involved and are supportive of the proposed work.

We remain at mercy of the weather and can’t guarantee exactly how long the reshaped front of the dune will remain looking like it does at completion of the works!

Why is this work happening?

Future Coast Bude are aware of the community's concerns about wind-blown sand on the car park. The project is working with the community to plan for a positive future for the coast in Bude and understands that the sand dunes at Summerleaze are likely to be a key part of the community’s vision for Bude. Sand dunes are not only a protected habitat, they also offer great protection from the waves that come in off the Atlantic. Sand dunes are also a key source of sand that feeds the beach at Summerleaze – making it soft and sandy, compared with Crooklets, which doesn’t have sand dunes.

The project hopes to work with the community to plan for adaptation, but it recognises that until this plan is in place, the pressure on car parking in the town is a concern for local people.

Cornwall Councillor Peter LaBroy said “It is great that the Future Coast Bude project have listened to the concerns of the community and that they have been able to facilitate this work, which buys the community some time to plan properly for a positive future for the coastline of Bude. I would encourage everyone to get involved in the Community Conversation events, which will be being run in the coming months”.

Over the next 12 months, whilst a clear plan for the future is being developed, sand on the car park will continue to be recycled (by moving it to the front of the dune) to ensure it is kept in the sand dunes and offers protection and sediment supply to the beach. As part of the Coastal Vision, a longer-term plan for Summerleaze car park will be developed by the community, which will consider how best to adapt a very man-made environment in the future.

The Future Coast Bude Youth Board, made up of 18 local young people aged 16 to 30, took part in a dedicated training session this weekend. This session was designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge about the coastline in Bude, needed to support the Future Coast Bude project.

	The Youth Board was established to ensure younger voices are represented in a project that will have long‑term impacts on the community. Engagement with the project to date has largely come from older residents, who often have more time and confidence to participate in public forums. The Youth Board is now developing creative ways to reach and involve their peers aged 16–30, with several exciting ideas already in motion.
A key theme emerging from the project’s community survey earlier this year was the need for clearer information about how the coastline is changing and what drives those changes. In response, Future Coast Bude will soon launch a series of ‘Community Conversation’ events. These sessions will help residents explore how the coastline has evolved, what it may look like in the future, and how the project is supporting adaptation. The Youth Board will play a central role in helping to design, run, and analyse these events, supported by free training and paid work opportunities that aim to build their confidence and future employability.
	Bude-Stratton Town Councillor, Tony Gibbs, who has been supporting the project, said: "To see the Future Coast Bude Youth Board come together with such enthusiasm and energy is very exciting. The board are very keen to learn about the coastline, how it is changing and what it means for their future. I look forward to continuing to work with the board and Future Coast Bude to develop ideas and plans that benefit our entire community.”

On Saturday 21 March, the Youth Board gathered at the new 2 Minute Foundation HQ for an immersive training day focused on Bude’s unique coastline. They were introduced to a new interactive tool developed by the project, which brings together historic photos, maps, charts, and artwork of the Bude coastline. This digital resource, which is soon to be launched publicly, allows users to explore how the coastline has changed over time.

The group also enjoyed a premiere screening of new bite‑size educational films created in collaboration with the 2 Minute Foundation. These short films explain the natural processes shaping Bude’s coastline in an accessible and engaging way.

Claire from the 2 Minute Foundation then led the Youth Board on a guided beach walk, giving them the chance to observe coastal processes first‑hand. The session concluded with a discussion about how Bude’s coastline may change in the future and how the community can adapt positively.
	Evie, 22, said: “I found this session very helpful and informative. It really helped clear up any questions I had and was a great way to learn and digest the information. I enjoyed the beach walk to see physical examples of the changes to our coast. I enjoyed being able to work with people my age for the future of Bude.”
Tom, 17, added: “Growing up in Bude I feel its amazing landscape and community is so unique, and as young people it is our duty to preserve it whilst adapting to the inevitable changes to the coast.”

The next Youth Board training session will take place on 28 and 29 March, delivered by the charity Voice. This workshop will focus on communication and engagement skills, preparing the young people to support the project in sharing information with the wider community.

Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on Community Conversations.

Facebook: @Future Coast Bude
Instagram: @futurecoastbude

We know that the coast has changed in the past and that it will continue to change in the future. Erosion of the cliffs will continue to take place – in some places more quickly than others. And as sea levels rise, our beaches and facilities near the coast, will become under increasing pressure.

In Bude, there are a number of public owned building and amenities which will not be able to be kept in their existing location in the future. As part of the Future Coast Bude project, we are looking at what it would take to move or adapt some of these things in the future. To be able to understand how this can happen, we need to first gather data about what the current situation is.

To do this, the project has commissioned:

• A drone survey of the cliffs, from Maer Cliff down to Mentones. This will give us visual information about the stability of the cliff. This is particularly important for understanding which parts of the coast path might need to be moved.

• Ground Investigation surveys and Cliff Stability surveys, to help the project plan for which parts of the cliffs will be most vulnerable to cliff falls. This will also be very useful for future plans for the route of the coast path.
• A drone survey, Topography survey and ‘Ground penetrating radar’ survey of the current overflow car park at Crooklets. This will allow plans to be made so that the capacity of the car park can be increased. This means that as increased pressure is put on the Crooklets car park, beachside car parking is still available.
• Ecology surveys, which will allow the project to have a clear idea of what the habitat is and what species are present in different locations along the coast. This will help inform decisions about where things like the toilet blocks could be moved to in the future.

By gathering this data now, this information can be fed into our Community Conversation events, which will be happening in April and May. This information can be used to help inform the community’s plan for the Coastal Vision – setting the direction of travel for the coast in Bude in the future.

Cornwall Council and Bude & Stratton Town Council are working together on a short‑term programme to manage wind‑blown sand at Summerleaze Beach while strengthening the long‑term health of the dune system. This work forms part of the Future Coast Bude project and will run from March 2026 to March 2027. Community consultation about the future of the coast will be taking place during this time, and will help shape the long-term plan for the coastline here.

Why this work is happening

Summerleaze is a naturally dynamic coastline. Wind, waves and tides constantly move sand around the beach and dunes. Over recent years this has led to:

• Sand regularly building up in the car park
• Erosion and exposed rock armour along the seaward edge of the dunes
• Concerns about the long‑term resilience of the dune system

The aim of this plan is to reduce sand accumulation in the car park in the short term while keeping all sand within the natural beach–dune system, supporting the dunes’ ability to recover and adapt.

Where the work will take place

The project focuses on the mobile dunes and the car park, staying above the Mean High-Water Springs (MHWS) line to avoid disturbing protected intertidal habitats.

How sand recycling works

Excess sand that gathers in the car park will be moved back onto the dunes where it can help rebuild and stabilise them. The work will:

• Target only loose, non‑vegetated sand
• Prioritise rebuilding the west‑facing dune edge, where rock armour is currently exposed
• Maintain safe, stable slopes — especially around the RNLI access route
• Support wider dune‑care measures such as fencing, planting and mulching

The first phase is planned for early spring 2026, ideally after the March spring tides and before Easter, to maximise benefits ahead of the summer season.

Fencing and planting to stabilise the dunes

To help reduce wind‑blown sand and guide people safely through the dunes, a series of fencing and planting measures will be introduced.

Fencing

Two types of fencing will be installed:

• Post‑and‑rope fencing to mark a new access route and close off the old one
• Fencing to act as windbreaks and trap sand in key areas, including behind the rock armour and along the southwest dune edge

These measures help slow sand movement and encourage natural dune growth.

Planting

Once fencing is in place, dune‑friendly planting will help stabilise the sand:

• Marram grass in sheltered sand‑capture areas
• Lyme grass or couch grass in lower areas that may occasionally be reached by waves
• Thatching or mulching (e.g., straw) to help young plants establish

Some bare sand will be intentionally retained to preserve the natural ecological function of the dunes.

Maintaining RNLI access at all times

The RNLI relies on a key access corridor to launch the D‑Class inshore lifeboat. A realigned, more southerly route is proposed to improve safety and reduce wind‑blown sand around the boathouse.

If the new route cannot be created at the same time as the sand recycling work, the existing route must remain fully usable.

Protecting RNLI operations is a core requirement of the project.

What to expect

Even with this work, the dunes will continue to shift — that’s part of a healthy coastal system. Sand may still accumulate in the car park at times, and the dune face will continue to respond to waves and weather. These changes will be monitored closely by:

• The Bude Dunes Group
• The Future Coast Bude team
• The regional coastal monitoring programme

What informed this plan

The approach draws on specialist studies and community feedback, including:

• Summerleaze Beach & Dune Management Plan (2016)
• Bude Coastal Change Project (2021)
• Summerleaze Dune Report (2023)
• Summerleaze Car Park Community Feedback Survey (2025)

Further sand sampling will take place to confirm grain size and check for any contamination, though no issues are currently expected.

🌊 Future Coast Bude Youth Board - deadline to apply extended to Monday 23 February.

⭐ What is the Youth Board?

The Future Coast Bude Youth Board is a group of young people who want to make a difference in their community.
As a member, you’ll work with professionals to help design events that ask local people what they want for the future of Bude’s coast.

You’ll learn how to:

• Talk with different groups of people
• Run discussions
• Collect and understand information
• Help write a report about what the community wants

You’ll also get paid for your time.

Being part of the Youth Board gives you:

• New skills for jobs and future opportunities
• Confidence and real work experience
• A chance to shape events happening in Bude this spring
• A role as a young ambassador for the project

The Youth Board will also help create a future Youth Council for ages 11–18.

🕒 How much time will it take?

Around 6–12 hours a month, depending on how involved you want to be.

Required training (expenses paid)

• Mon 2 March 2026, 7–9pm
• Sat 21 March 2026, 10am–3pm
• Sat 28 & Sun 29 March 2026, 10am–3pm

Optional activities (paid)

• Planning sessions: 2 hours a week in March
• Workshops: Around 5 events in late April
• Data & report writing: 2 hours a week in May and June

💰 How much does it cost?

Nothing.
Training expenses are covered, and you’ll be paid for the work you do.

📱 What do I need?

For online meetings:

• A phone, tablet, or laptop with internet
• A quiet space to talk
  (If you need help getting equipment or internet, just ask!)

For in‑person events:

• A way to travel to Bude (travel costs can be covered)
• Someone you live with or trust knowing where you’re going and when you’ll be back

To join the group, you should:

• Be 16–30 years old on 1 March 2026
• Live in or near Bude
• Be comfortable talking in small groups
• Want to share your views and represent others
• Be open‑minded and welcoming
• Be interested in helping shape Bude’s future

🌍 What will the Youth Board achieve?

You’ll help create a Coastal Vision for Bude — a document that explains what the community wants for the future of the coastline, especially with sea‑level rise and erosion in mind.

You’ll help make sure young people’s voices are heard and included in the final plan.

📝 How do I apply?

Fill in the online form: Future Coast Youth Board: A board for young residents aged 16-30 Application form | Let's Talk Cornwall

If you need a paper copy or help filling it in, you can:

• Email Liz: futurecoastbude@cornwall.gov.uk
• Visit Bude-Stratton Town Council, The Parkhouse Centre

You can also send your answers as a video or voice note to the same email.

❓ Got questions?

You can:

• Email Liz Taylor at futurecoastbude@cornwall.gov.uk
• Ask for a phone or video call
• Come to one of the information sessions:
  • Tuesday 3 February 12:00 - 2pm Berries Community Cafe
  • Wednesday 4 February 12:30 - 2:30pm The Pearl Exchange
  • Friday 6 February 9:00 - 12 Bude Job Centre