Kitesurfers banned from coastal beauty spot

Kitesurfers Stefano Biagini and Graeme Rolbieckie

Kitesurfers say they are devastated after being banned from a coastal Kent beauty spot they had used for more than 20 years after “disturbing birds”.

An agreement between Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) and the watersport enthusiasts had previously permitted the activity at Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate.

Graeme Rolbiecki, who runs Kite Pirates at Pegwell Bay, said: “It’s devastating to me personally, the students and the kitesurfing community - for Thanet and for East Kent, it's a massive blow."

KWT said the bay was home to "rare and endangered bird species" which are disturbed by activities like jet skiing, paddle boarding and kitesurfing.

Pegwell Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an internationally important National Nature Reserve

Pegwell Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an internationally important National Nature Reserve, which was opened by Sir David Attenborough in 1999.

After KWT raised concerns about the impact on the bay's wildlife, the voluntary agreement between Natural England and the wildlife trust to allow the watersports was not renewed when it came to an end in November.

Kitesurfers could now be hit with a £100 fixed penalty notice from Thanet District Council (TDC) as they would be in breach of the authority’s beaches Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Stefano Biagini, a kitesurfer from Whitstable, says he wishes the authorities could have "worked with us" instead of taking the "draconian" step of banning kitesurfing altogether.

A KWT report said in 2022 it had received 25 reports of violations of the kitesurfing agreement. The following year, this figure rose to 60.

A TDC spokesperson said: "The PSPO covers the entire Thanet coastline and prohibits any activity that disturbs wildlife.”