Future of Southwick Beach protected through transfer to Shoreham Port
Released: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
The leader of Adur District Council has backed the sale of our section of Southwick Beach to ensure the future protection of the shoreline.
In October last year we announced that we had decided to transfer the ownership of our section of the beach, the land alongside it and its facilities to the port authority.
Councillor Jeremy Gardner said:
“We understand how valued this stretch of Southwick Beach remains to the community, and believe placing it under the care of the port authority offers the strongest long-term protection for the area.
“We’re confident Southwick Beach has a positive future ahead with the port authority as its steward, and we appreciate the many local residents who have shared their views and demonstrated such strong support for the beach throughout the consultation process.”
The sale includes a legal covenant to ensure that the popular stretch of beach remains publicly accessible forever, regardless of potential future ownership - a provision that had been requested by a number of people in the community.
Shoreham Port Authority approached us about the possibility of purchasing the land in a proposal which included the foreshore, promenade, public toilets, beach chalets, surface car park and café, which is let to the operator on a long-term lease.
Facing a projected future cost risk of around £4m, we recognised we lacked the funding needed to invest adequately in the existing infrastructure or guarantee the long-term protection of the shoreline, and were therefore open to exploring a potential sale with the port authority as a trusted local partner.
The transfer process was formally completed recently for £550,000 - removing the multimillion-pound risk.
Following discussion on our overview and scrutiny committee, we held an extensive engagement process where local people and organisations could share their views and ask questions. This included a public meeting at Southwick Community Centre.
We acknowledge the beach has faced challenges due to limited investment in recent years, largely as a result of ongoing financial pressures. It’s hoped that Shoreham Port Authority can manage the area more effectively and deliver improvements to the land and its public facilities.
The 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 it’s now also responsible for the sea defences at the 1.3 mile section of foreshore which was formerly owned by the council.
Elements such as the toilets and car park at Southwick Beach are also now managed by the port authority. Existing contractual agreements with beach chalet tenants and the operator of Carats Café have continued without interruption.
With local government reorganisation underway, we believe 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 owned the majority of the surrounding land.
The transfer marks a new chapter for Southwick Beach, with Shoreham Port Authority expected to build on its existing stewardship of the area and deliver long-term improvements for residents and visitors.
For more information about the sale, see:
Photo: Southwick Beach - looking east from Carats Café past Shoreham Power Station
Photo: Carats Café at Southwick Beach
(PR26-043)
Page last updated: 19 May 2026