Weymouth Beach closed from today for annual summer preparation works
Weymouth Beach closed from today for annual summer preparation works
Weymouth Beach is closed from today (Monday, February 16) for essential annual works to prepare it for the busy summer season.
Weymouth Town Council has confirmed that the section of beach between the Pavilion Theatre and the Jubilee Clock will be closed until 7pm on Friday, February 20. The temporary closure will allow heavy machinery on to the beach so levelling works can be carried out safely.
The works take place every year and are timed to coincide with the spring tide, when more of the beach is exposed. This enables the council’s team to move diggers further on to the sand to restore the beach profile ahead of the summer months.
However, the timing of the closure has sparked public frustration, with some residents questioning why the works are being carried out during the February half-term holiday, when families are more likely to visit the seafront.
The town council has defended the timing, saying the works must align with the spring tide to ensure they can be carried out effectively and safely.
This year’s works have been described as particularly important following recent named storms Ingrid and Chandra, which have shifted significant amounts of sand further up the beach than usual.
Chair of the Environment and Services Committee at Weymouth Town Council, Cllr Matt Bell, said: “Over the autumn and winter months much of the sand is moved around in seasonal storms. During the spring tide, when more of the beach is exposed, this allows the team to get the diggers further on to the beach area to set about restoring it for the summer season.
“And with three back-to-back named storms already this year, the sand has moved even further up the beach, so this vital work to level the sand needs to be carried out now ahead of Weymouth’s busy season.”
Entry and exit points along the affected stretch will be barriered off while the heavy-duty machinery is operating, with signage in place to inform the public about the temporary closure.
The council added that some work will also be carried out in advance to remove seaweed washed up during recent storms, although this will not require the beach to be closed.
Weymouth Town Council said it is giving advance notice of the annual beach levelling works to ensure residents and visitors are aware of the temporary restrictions, despite criticism over the half-term timing.