Newhaven West Beach in East Sussex has been closed to the public by its French owners, Newhaven Port and Properties, since 2008, but residents took matters into their own hands this past weekend as temperatures soared over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Frustrated locals broke open locked gates to access the sandy shore and cool water. "Somebody sawed off the lock and everybody went down there," local pensioner Jean Bacon told the Daily Mail. "We need our beach, we need it open. It's disgusting."
Newhaven West Beach is one of the few sandy beaches in the area. "The beach used to be a big part of summer," said local Jamie Turner, 39. "Especially on a summer's day like this when it's 30 degrees."
Campaign for Reopening
Local politicians have been actively campaigning to reopen the beach. Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary is currently pushing the Newhaven West Beach Public Access Bill, which aims to legally enforce public access to the beach and ensure safe routes are secured. "West Beach is not just a strip of sand, it is part of Newhaven's history, its identity and its community life," MacCleary stated. "For 17 years, local families - including my own - have been denied access to a beach where generations once swam, played and made memories."
MacCleary added, "My West Beach Bill is about fairness. It is about standing up for a community that has been shut out of its own seafront for far too long." He stressed that while safety and harbor operations are important, they cannot be used as a perpetual excuse to prevent public access to the amenity.
History of Protests
Newhaven Port and Properties has previously rejected proposals to reopen the beach. Since its closure in 2008, there have been numerous protests. In 2015, residents scaled fences and held "protest picnics." In 2014, around 300 people climbed over fences to access the beach during low tide, unfurling Union flags and writing messages in the sand, including "Give us our surf beach back."
In 2008, the beach was closed after being deemed unsafe for visitors. A Supreme Court ruling later confirmed that West Beach could not be registered as a village green, allowing it to remain fenced off under the instruction of its owners, a joint venture of French local authorities. By Monday morning, the broken lock that was forced open over the weekend had been replaced. "Breaking the law is never on, but it would be nice if it could be open legally and properly," Turner commented.