To everyone who has supported our Save SOBO Beach campaign over the past week, THANK YOU.
More than 10,800 people signed our petition. Thousands more shared their stories, wrote to councillors, spread the word and came together in an extraordinary show of love for this special place.
Yesterday evening, that community voice was heard.
At BCP Full Council, councillors formally adopted an amendment providing for SOBO Beach to continue operating for a further 11 months, until 30 September 2027.
While the necessary arrangements still need to be finalised, this is welcome news for the immediate future.
It means we can look forward to another wonderful summer together on Southbourne Beach!
More sea swims, more sunsets, more Sunday Sessions, more friendships and more memories.
The sun hasn’t gone down on SOBO just yet...
But there is still work to do.
The Council also approved the proposed long-term lease to a new operator, and many of the important questions we’ve raised about public consultation, community and social value, the tender process and long-term financial sustainability remain unanswered.
An 11-month reprieve is a significant development, but it doesn’t resolve the wider issues.
What began as a campaign to protect a much-loved community venue has opened up a much bigger conversation about how we develop and care for our entire coastline.
We intend to expand that conversation constructively, explore the available options and seek proper answers to the questions that remain over Sobo Beach.
For now, though, we want to recognise what this community has achieved together.
Thank you to every single person who stood up for SOBO Beach, your voice matters.
This isn’t the end of the story.
Enjoy the good news, support SOBO, and let’s look forward to at least another 11 months together!
We’ll share more as we develop the next steps of the campaign.
Watch this space.
Save SOBO Beach
Save SOBO Beach
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