Asbestos contamination keeps Plymouth’s Mount Batten beach closed for sixth year

A popular swimming spot in Plymouth has remained off-limits for over six years due to an ongoing environmental mystery involving asbestos contamination. Mount Batten Beach was fenced off this summer after tests conducted in April and July detected asbestos fibers in sand samples at levels considered hazardous if inhaled.

Plymouth City Council stated that breathing in these fibers can significantly increase the risk of serious illnesses, including lung cancer, potentially decades after exposure. Since the initial discovery, more than 1.5 tonnes of material containing both white and blue asbestos have been removed from the shoreline and nearby areas.

The first instance of the toxic substance washing ashore was recorded in 2019, when 500kg of material was cleared from the beach on Plymouth Sound. Residents and experts suspect the source is roofing and construction waste from the former RAF Mount Batten base, which operated on the peninsula until 1992. Coastal erosion is believed to be exposing buried materials from the site, which was once a key flying boat base during World War Two.

City councillor Grace Stickland, a regular swimmer, described the closure as devastating for the local community. She noted that dozens of people gather for swims year-round, with some events attracting up to 80 participants. “All the swimmers feel as though they’ve been evicted from their homes,” Stickland said, emphasizing that older adults and those with mobility issues particularly relied on the beach’s accessibility.

The situation presents a stark contrast to Plymouth Sound being designated as the UK’s first National Marine Park. Local MP Rebecca Smith has criticized the council for the prolonged closure, arguing it undermines the marine park’s reputation. “You can’t be the National Marine Park on one side of the peninsula and have a closed beach on the other side,” Smith said. She called on the council to leverage its track record of securing funding to resolve the issue urgently.

While two rounds of testing found no evidence of airborne asbestos, the presence of fibers in the sand was deemed sufficient to trigger the shutdown. Professor Steve Maddern, Plymouth’s director of public health, defended the decision as a last resort to prioritize public safety.

Nearby businesses are already feeling the economic impact. The Bridge restaurant closed in September, citing the beach closure as a major factor in its decline in trade. A council spokesperson acknowledged the frustration but described reopening as a “complex task” requiring robust identification of the contamination source. Further tests are underway at other waterfront locations to determine if the issue is confined to Mount Batten, but no contractor has yet been appointed to lead the remediation efforts.