South Ayrshire Council has closed Prestwick Beach this afternoon (29 July) as a precautionary measure due to the discovery of a small amount of a potentially hazardous material.
The decision follows an inspection at the beach after a concern was raised that a small piece of asbestos had been found. The inspection identified a number of small pieces of material, which are potentially of concern and - as a precautionary health and safety measure - access to the beach has been prohibited until the materials can be removed. All people have been cleared from the beach and signage is being put in place along the beach and at access points that states 'Danger. Beach Closed'. The temporary closure will remain in place until a specialist contractor can remove the material and carry out decontamination works. This work will be carried out as quickly as possible. Councillor John McDowall, Sustainability and Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: "We have moved swiftly to close the beach as a precaution as even a small amount of asbestos can be harmful if it's disturbed.
"We don't take decisions like this lightly, but I'm sure members of the public and visitors would rather be safe than sorry. We simply won't take any chances and the beach will remain closed until the material is removed and the necessary checks have been carried out. "We thank residents and visitors for their co-operation while this closure is in place and ask them to observe the warning signage at all times."
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