3 minute read
Hordes at the Door
from 4Dorset June 2020
by Dorset View
By Louis Pulford
A picturesque landmark on the coast of Dorset and a World Heritage Site of sheer beauty was visited by hoards of day trippers on the weekend of 30 and 31 May.
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Lulworth Estate had opened its Durdle Door car park to the public after a shift in lockdown rules. This appeared to have been interpreted by many as an invitation to day trippers from all over the country to visit the World Heritage Site. The fact that the country is still in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic did not deter the hordes of visitors and, whilst amassing at Durdle Door to enjoy themselves and take in the sights, there was little regard given to social distancing.
What was going on at Durdle Door was brought into sharp focus when three people were seriously injured after jumping off the cliff on 30 May. This incident caused a mass evacuation of the beach to make room for two air ambulances to collect the casualties.
Emergency vehicles in the car park
As a result of the widespread media coverage, Dorset Council closed roads in the area the following day and put out a plea for people to think twice before visiting Dorset’s beaches because maintaining social distancing was becoming difficult. Despite this, the beach was as busy the following day and there were further reports of people tombstoning off the 70-foot cliff.
Even though there is a one-way system in place to reduce people crossing on paths when they access the beach, the two metre rule was largely ignored. People walked shoulder-to-shoulder up and down the route and this left me, as an observer from a safe distance, with a sense of anxiety.
Another consequence of the large number of visitors to Durdle Door, which appears to have passed by without comment, is that the visitors left behind a trail of unimaginable waste.
The rubbish at Durdle Door which has now been removed from the beaches
Erin and Roy
It is a very sad reflection on the human race that a place of such profound beauty should create such an anti social reaction. It’s all the more upsetting to think many of these visitors will not even reside in Dorset but live in neat houses elsewhere in the country and would be the first to kick up a fuss if anyone tossed rubbish in their front garden, yet they feel justified in polluting a beauty spot.
As the chairman of Plastic Free Ferndown and part of a coastal warrior team, I was very distressed by the amount of rubbish left during the weekend at the bottom of the steps of both beaches and it poses the questions: Why do people leave their rubbish? Who is accountable for cleaning it all up? Perhaps the beaches were opened too soon because people are not behaving in a rational manner.
Rubbish at Man O'War Beach
Fortunately, there is a team of weekend warriors who dedicate their time to improving the environment. All are volunteers and they are passionate about the Jurassic Coast.
With litter pickers resembling assault rifles they look ready for war – albeit a peaceful war – one that is carried out on a blistering battlefield strewn with bottles, flip flops, carpets, barbecues, alcohol cans, nappies and whatever else you can think to add to the list. And the list is unacceptable on any part of the World Heritage Site, including Durdle Door, or anywhere else in the world.
Litterpickers Lee, Louis, Erin and Roy
Drastic steps are needed now to make changes and bring the public to their senses. Weekend warriors need your support, more publicity is needed, heftier fines for littering, and notices to remind people to take their rubbish home. The Jurassic Coast is not a landfill, but it looked like one on the morning of 31 May.
For more information visit cleanjurrasiccoats.uk or search clean Jurassic Coast on Facebook.
