Beach sports centre planned for St Annes

Fylde Council has announced a two-phase plan which will see the development of a beach sports centre at the resort's North Beach as a venue for local clubs to host events and tuition, a café for the provision of refreshments to beachgoers, and a base of operations for the Council’s coastal and countryside ranger service.

Using the former Trax property in the St Annes North Beach car park as a basis, the proposal is to renovate the building, at an envisaged cost of £200,000, to offer visitors and residents a place to enjoy the thrills of beach sports in a safe and managed environment.

The first phase will focus upon the refurbishment of the structure, bringing the existing facilities up to the highest standard of functionality and accessibility, designating a space for a commercially operated café, and establishing a multi-purpose room for events and initiatives hosted by clubs or the ranger service.

Coun Michael Sayward, chairman of Fylde Council's tourism and leisure committee, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce this fantastic new facility to help people enjoy all the exciting activities our beachfront has to offer.

"St Annes can proudly claim to have some of the best beachfront in the United Kingdom for kitesurfing, and we aim to make full use of this potential to the benefit of the community while providing a welcoming place for visitors.”

The plan has been approved by the council's tourism and leisure Committee and will now go before the finance and democracy committee for budgetary approval, with a goal to be ready for the summer.

St Annes has a long history of being renowned in particular as a sand yachting centre, having hosted national and international event, but the sport was banned for 10 years following the death of a beach goer following a collision with a craft in 2002 and the sport has only been held intermittently since.

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