SOBO Beach row deepens as MP warns Southbourne seafront venue could stand empty for a year
BCP Council insists legislation forced them to put the popular SOBO Beach bar in Southbourne out to tender
A dispute over the future of popular Southbourne seafront venue SOBO Beach has intensified, with Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes accusing BCP Council of a “bad procurement process” and warning the site could remain empty for a year.
The council has insisted it remains committed to a “vibrant” hospitality offer at the Southbourne Promenade site, where the current lease, held by SOBO Beach, expires on 31 October 2026.
Three potential operators were shortlisted after the council invited expressions of interest. The identity of the preferred bidder remains confidential for commercial reasons, but SOBO Beach has confirmed it was not selected.
The new operator is expected to be revealed once the lease contracts have been approved. Councillors will discuss the proposed lease at a full council meeting on 13 October.
BCP Council says it was legally required to put the opportunity out to tender and could not simply extend the existing arrangement, regardless of the venue’s popularity or how long its operator had been established.
Cllr Richard Herrett said he understood the strength of feeling locally and acknowledged the contribution SOBO Beach had made to the area.
But he said the council had to follow financial and procurement rules, with bids assessed on value for money, business plans, infrastructure proposals and social and community benefits.
“Whatever the outcome of this procurement, this is by no means the end of a vibrant hospitality offering on Southbourne beach,” Cllr Herrett said. “We are committed to making sure it remains a focal point for the Southbourne community.”
MP Tom Hayes, however, accused council leaders of mishandling the process and putting the future of an established local business at risk.
He said delays both before and during procurement had contributed to what he described as a “bad decision”, raising the prospect that the site could be left vacant from November.
“BCP Council should be doing the same, instead of making us pay the price for their failures,” MP Hayes said, arguing that the council should act in the interests of the business and the community.
He also criticised Cllr Herrett’s response to the concerns, describing it as “rattled” and urging the councillor to reconsider the decision.
The dispute leaves the venue’s immediate future uncertain as the council prepares to consider the lease.
While officials have defended the competitive process as necessary and objective, Tom Hayes says the delays risk disrupting a business that has become part of Southbourne’s community.
The outcome of the 13 October meeting is expected to clarify the next steps, with the preferred operator’s identity still undisclosed.