The Trelawny Parish Council has finally decided to correct some of the deficiencies at the popular Burwood Beach in the parish.

The council’s plan for the facility – although not far-reaching enough – will undoubtedly please many of the hundreds of persons who flock the parish’s only public beach on a weekly basis.

A visit to the facility just over a week ago told a sordid story.

The obviously abandoned changing rooms and toilet facilities were filthy.

Additionally, the vast piece of property adjoining the beach was littered with garbage and appeared not to have been cleaned in months.

The parish council, the Observer West was told, had not seen it fit to employ persons to maintain the facility.

Apart from the hiring of two lifeguards, who usually don’t wear uniforms, the council employs no one else to work at the facility.

So the filthiness wasn’t really surprising.

“The facility stinks. For a beach as popular as Burwood, the facility needs to be properly managed,” said Aubyn Green, a Trelawny resident who occasionally visits the beach.

“The entire facility is very poor. It needs a better management structure to bring it up to a first-class level so that people can enjoy not only the water but the comfort of good first-class facilities,” added Green.

He argued that the establishment of refreshment and meal areas would complement the beach.

Green comment mirrors the hundreds of persons who have visited the beach – the sand is pristine and the water is lovely but the facility stinks.

Last week, an obviously embarrassed mayor of Falmouth and chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council, Jonathan Bartley told the Observer West he had instructed the roads and works department of the council to address the filth.

According to Bartley, the council has decided to erect a perimeter fencing on the land adjoining the beach as well as to repair the changing room.

This is good news, Mayor Bartley, but why was this so long in coming? Is it because of World Cup Cricket?

And after the proposed work at the facility is complete, will the facility be properly maintained? And who will be responsible for its maintenance?

The council has long argued that it does not have the resources to maintain the facility nor has it the funds to develop it into a first-class facility.

Against this background, the council should consider leasing the facility to competent persons. Burwood Beach clearly has the potential to be developed into a world-class beach.

Trelawny deserves nothing less.