TWO Inverclyde councillors are pushing to have a boardwalk built at Lunderston Bay in a bid to make the local beauty spot more accessible.

SNP politicians Sandra Reynolds and James Daisley say the walk would make it easier for people with additional support needs, mobility issues and dementia to access the beach.

They have asked officers to investigate the possibility of installing the wooden walkway at Lunderston Bay and other appropriate sites.

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Councillor Reynolds told the Telegraph the inspiration for the idea had come from a constituent.

Lunderston Bay. (Image: George Munro)

She said:  “This started off with a resident telling me about his son being at Lunderston Bay on a nice summer day and seeing a group of children, a playgroup or something, playing on the beach. 

"In the group was a wee boy who had to sit on the grass in his wheelchair.

“They came to me to ask if something could be done about that.

“It seems a shame that a place where kids can enjoy themselves is somewhere that people using wheelchairs can’t get on the beach, to be near their playmates and friends.

“The day before that, I was over in Dunoon with my grandchildren and they have placards up on their West Bay, one of which was about a boardwalk.

“It was about making the beach accessible for people with dementia. It [the placard] said that 92-year-olds like to paddle too.

“We went to the council, and they were open to looking at how to plan it.

“The council are still working out if funding is available. They’re being positive about it but as with everything it’ll take time.”

Cllr Daisley has thrown his weight behind the idea and believes that the boardwalk idea could open up a lot more opportunities to improve the area.

He said: “There is such an opportunity to make Inverclyde a more disability-friendly authority and area.

“There are even studies that show this type of initiative and this type of boardwalk can allow people with dementia and their carers to safely access beaches, which is really beneficial for them.

“In Inverclyde we have the highest dementia death rates in Scotland.

“There would be many benefits to this, but it’s just one tiny little element of how we can, and should, be making Inverclyde a much more accessible and friendly place for people with additional support needs.”

Councillor Daisley says he has also asked officers to look at the possibility of making similar accessibility improvements at Inverkip Beach, which is in his own council ward.

He added: “Officers have been really receptive to this. The challenge obviously comes down to funding, and I can’t promise it’ll happen, but I can say there is an appetite for this.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with families who have children and siblings and family members with additional support needs, and the more you speak to them, the more you discover how much opportunity there is in Inverclyde to support them.

“They’re going to places outside Inverclyde to spend their days, when they actually live in Inverclyde, and I think there’s an opportunity for us to do things a bit better.”