Adur District Council has decided to sell its section of Southwick Beach to Shoreham Port Authority to ensure the future protection of the shoreline.
Transfer of ownership
Councillor Jeremy Gardner, the leader of Adur District Council, has agreed that the local authority should transfer the ownership of its section of the beach, the land alongside it and its facilities to the port authority. The sale will include a legal covenant to ensure that the popular stretch of beach remains publicly accessible forever, regardless of potential future ownership.
Shoreham Port Authority approached the council about the possibility of purchasing the land earlier this year, in a proposal which includes the foreshore, promenade, public toilets, beach chalets, surface car park and cafe, which is let to the operator on a long-term lease. The council lacks the necessary funding to adequately invest into the current infrastructure or ensure the future protection of the shoreline, and was therefore open to exploring a potential sale with the port authority.
Port authority proposal accepted
Following an engagement process with the community, which included an in-person event at Southwick Community Centre in July, Cllr Gardner has decided to formally accept the port authority’s proposal.
Shoreham Port Authority has long owned the majority of the public beach running alongside Basin Road South, which comes with its own coastal protection responsibilities. The sale means that the port authority will now also be responsible for the sea defences at the 1.3 mile section of foreshore currently owned by the council.
Public facilities, such as the toilets and car park at Southwick Beach, will also be managed by the port authority moving forward. Existing contractual agreements with beach chalet tenants and the operator of Carats Cafe will continue uninterrupted.
As well as public access to the beach, Carats Cafe remained at the centre of people’s questions and concerns about the proposal, reaffirming just how much the popular coastal cafe and bar means to the community.
Ideal custodian
With local government reorganisation underway, the council believes Shoreham Port Authority is the ideal custodian of the land for the future, because of its key contribution to the local economy, its work with the community, its sustainable values and the fact it already owns the majority of the surrounding land.
The council’s section of Southwick Beach, as well as its surrounding facilities, will be officially transferred to Shoreham Port Authority in the coming weeks.
For more information about the sale, visit the council’s website: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/the-future-of-southwick-beach/
