West Sussex council open to selling part of Adur beach and facilities
The sale of part of Southwick Beach will be decided in a meeting next week
A West Sussex council has confirmed it is open to selling part of a local beach and the facilities nearby.
Adur District Council said that they were considering selling their part of Southwick Beach and the surrounding buildings in order to fund better infrastructure in the area.
The authority added that Shoreham Port Authority - the main potential buyer - currently owns most of the land surrounding the beach and approached the council to purchase the remaining parts it does not own.
This includes a long stretch of the beach itself, as well as many of the off-beach facilities including the beach's promenade, public toilets, beach chalets and car park.
Following public feedback about the potential deal, Shoreham Port Authority said it was committed to retaining access for the public to the beach forever, if a deal went through.
The possibility of a sale is set to be decided during a meeting that will take place next Tuesday (July 8th) at the Shoreham Centre.
In a statement, Adur District Council explained: "We believe Shoreham Port would be the ideal custodian of the land because of its key contribution to the local economy, its work with the community, its sustainable values and the fact it is the adjacent landowner.
Shoreham Port Authority, which owns most of the beach running alongside Basin Road South, also has the experience and resources to build coastal defences that will help protect the stretch of coastline for future generations."