VISTING Brean Beach is set to cost more this year as the council grant to look after it has been halved.

VISTING Brean Beach is set to cost more this year as the council grant to look after it has been halved.

Brean Parish Council is expecting to introduce the increase after Sedgemoor District Council reduced its grant for beach cleaning and wardening at a council meeting on February 13.

They will now receive £9,000 compared with last year's figure of £18,000.

The council says that it is a serious blow to their financial budget. The parish council has also been advised that it will have to match the £9,000 grant by the county council in order to get it

Funds will have to be raised through any means possible with the likely result a hike in the beach entrance fee.

Brean Parish Council chairman Joan Jackman said: "Last year it cost us £43,000 to clean and maintain the beach, so to say match the funding is a stupid statement.

"It is likely that we will have to increase the entrance to the beach. Our argument is that Sedgemoor is responsible as we say they have a duty and we believe it is their responsibility."

At present the cost to enter the beach is £1.50 and Mrs Jackman says that the cost may have to be up to £2 to cover the beach service costs.

The grant is used for a number of vital safety and cleanliness services for the beach, such as the alerting of hovercraft and rescue boats, cleaning up of wood, plastic and surgical waste and general maintenance.