A group of volunteers that carries out regular beach cleans at Berrow has this week welcomed the “very positive news” that Somerset Council is re-thinking its request that it buys £5m of insurance cover.
The Friends of Berrow Beach was dismayed to receive a letter earlier this month from Somerset Council stating that beach cleans would no longer be covered by the council’s public liability insurance.
The authority said the group would need to buy £5m of insurance cover to carry out its monthly beach cleans.
The Friends of Berrow Beach promptly suspended its beach cleans and asked its supporters to lobby the council for a re-think.
Now, after Burnham-On-Sea.com followed up on the group’s concerns, the council has advised that the group’s activity will in fact be covered.
Somerset Council’s abrupt letter to the group had stated: “During a process review for volunteer groups under the new authority, it has come to light that litter picking undertaken by groups such as yours will no longer be covered by Somerset Council’s public liability insurance. I hope that you can send over a copy of your public liability insurance to a value of £5 million, for my records, so that you can continue to undertake this valued work on Berrow Beach.”
The Friends of Berrow Beach called on its supporters to lobby Somerset Council to “get Somerset Council to reverse the decision.”
A spokesman from The Friends of Berrow Beach said: “Purchasing public liability insurance to the tune of £5 million is a bit beyond our limited funds, so we need all the help we can get. Everyone should be aware just how important the beach is to our local economy and nearly every business in Burnham, Berrow and Brean is dependent on it for their success! Therefore, doing our bit to keep it clean is vitally important. Until we can get this resolved, there will be no more beach cleans in the foreseeable future.”
This week, a Somerset Council spokesperson told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “With the harmonisation of legacy councils’ insurance policies into one policy for Somerset Council, it was an unintended consequence that groups were asked to provide their own public liability insurance.”
“Somerset Council will work with various groups to make sure that there is sufficient public liability insurance for voluntary groups.”
“We fully recognise the important work that Friends of Berrow beach and many other voluntary groups in Somerset play in keeping our opens spaces clean and in good order.”
Last night, Friends of Berrow Beach spokesman Nigel Hoy welcomed the news and told Burnham-On-Sea.com it is a “very positive step.”
The group hopes to restart its beach cleans soon – with the insurance cover in place.
