SWOT Analysis

The beach stretches over three miles and so different areas have different strengths and weaknesses. The beach has been divided into three main areas to show the differing strengths.

Strengths :

· Marazion : easy access for walking and wheel chair, lots of parking, lifeguard,blueflag status, toilets, cafes and pubs, kids play park, sailing club, gig club, dogs banned from May 1st to September, accommodation, galleries and St Michaels mount.

· Long Rock:beach which has been cleaned up from previous sewage problems. ·
Perfect conditions for windsurfing, kitesurfing, kiteboarding, and kitebuggying at low tide.
Dogs allowed on the beach year round.
Village with pub and shop
Plenty of parking and easy access

· Eastern Green: perfect for dog walkers, with access all year round.

Cycle Path stretching the length of the beach·

Close to Penzance, large town. ·

Good biodiversity of species with a range of habitats, rocky shore near Penzance, sandyshore stretching the whole beach, and sand dunes with Marshland at Marazion.

Marshland SSSI and RSPB site.

Sea defences in place, SMP1 gave the policy of do nothing, as the current defences were put in place in 1995 and were designed to last for at least 50 years.

Buisnesses: Many businesses have opened up on the beach Marazion has, cafes, lots of galleries and gift shops, pubs, and a sailing club. There is also a shop, lodey sails, which sells windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment.

Weaknesses:

Unpopular because of shingle instead of fine sand.

In the winter storms and ground swell churn up kelp from the seabed which gets washed up on the shore.

In the winter the beaches aren't cleaned, however in the summer the local council cleans Marazion beach.


Opportunities:

There are companies offering kite surfing lessons, however there are no places to hire beach and watersports equipment. Lodey Sails is an idea business to take up this opportunity.

The cycle path stretches the length of the beach, however there are no businesses offering cycle hire, for example the Camel trail on the North coast is a popular attraction and could be replicated here as the path continues past Penzance to Moueshole.

Threats :
As with all coastlines, sea level rise ·

Marsh could be endangered through errosion of sand dunes.

St Michaels Mount causeway erosion, could the mount become an island?