Rhos-on-Sea beach reopens with million tonnes of seabed sand

Messages on Conwy council's Facebook page showed people were in favour of the new sandy beach at Rhos on Sea

A beach has reopened following an overhaul including about one million tonnes of sand from the seabed.

The £14m project in Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy county, involved using a 1km pipe to bring in the sand from the seabed.

It has prompted renewed calls for a sandy beach at nearby Llandudno, which has largely been covered in rocks as part of sea defences since 2014.

Conwy council said it was lobbying UK and Welsh government ministers.

The beach at Rhos-on-Sea opened in time for the Easter weekend after work began last year.

• No sand on beach any time soon, councillors warned

• Plan sees street facing 9,000 more vehicles a day

Conwy council leaders have previously backed a plan to restore the sand at Llandudno's north shore, but said they did not have the money.

Politician Janet Finch-Saunders is planning to hold a public meeting about Llandudno's rocky North Shore

North Wales Tourism boss Jim Jones said the new sand at Rhos-on-Sea beach was "stunning".

Mr Jones said generations had enjoyed a sandy north shore at Llandudno before rocks were put on the beach as part of a flood protection scheme.

"What Victorians did it all those year ago in creating something special for us to enjoy," he said.

"Welsh government needs to put money where their mouth is so future generations to come can see sand on that beach again."

Conwy council said the Welsh government had awarded Coastal Risk Management Programme grant funding "to develop a full business case, based on maintaining and improving the existing cobble defence on the North Shore".

It said it was also trying to secure extra cash "regarding the potential benefits to tourism of a sand option in Llandudno".

Janet Finch-Saunders, Conservative Member of the Senedd for Aberconwy, said she was planning to hold a public meeting about Llandudno's north shore and would invite Welsh government and council officials.

"It is high time they saw and heard directly for themselves just how much this is impacting our town and how we will not be ignored," she said.