CONCERN has been raised that drinking water taps on Weymouth Beach are not accessible for disabled people.

Weymouth has 28 tap points installed along the beach near the prom, between the Pavilion and the Rock Groyne at Greenhill; 18 of them are inactive.

At a meeting of Weymouth Town Council's Environment and Services Committee members were asked to consider two options for maintenance.

One option was to replace 10 taps, which may or may not be the same ten working taps and the other option was to replace 25 of them.

Concern was raised by some members that the refill taps are on the beach and cannot be used by all residents, including some disabled people.

Cllr Helen Toft said: "There is a disability issue.

"A lot of people who are quite happy to be on the promenade do not have the ability to go onto the beach.

"We are denying them access to refills."

Council staff stated that water refills are available from most seafront shops and therefore people would still be able to fill up water bottles.

Dave Taylor, founder of Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project, also asked the committee to consider seafront taps being placed in other areas of Weymouth, away from the seafront

Mr Taylor was in attendance at the meeting and asked whether more drinking water taps could be put in parks and gardens in areas like Radipole and Upwey.

He said: "All of the taps are situated between Greenhill and the Pavilion.

"The taps on the beach should also be available to people on the promenade.

"If, as a council, you are trying to combat climate change, you need to look at the whole policy of providing water in other locations such as in parks, rather than on the beach where there are lots of taps and the rest of Weymouth does not have a single tap."

The committee agreed to replace 10 of the beach taps after a vote was passed with 8 members in favour and 2 against.