New furore over 'beach' area at Southwater Country Park

There was an outcry last year when Horsham District Council first erected fencing around the beach sparking residents’ fears it was being closed without any public consultation.

However, the council reopened the beach last summer but stipulated that people would have to book in advance, numbers would be restricted and visits would be limited to one and a half hour sessions.

Now residents are again raising questions over its future and describe the booking system as ‘a nonsense’ and waste of taxpayers’ money.

There are also new fears that the council is planning to charge people to use the beach.

Many have been voicing their views on social media. One said: “The people of Southwater didn’t ask for the beach to be fenced off.

"We didn’t ask for a booking system, or a warden to sit there during the school holidays to police the beach.

"We didn’t ask for our council taxes to be spent on all these things.”

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The furore has been sparked off by Horsham District Council asking people for their views on the future of the country park and how it could be developed or improved.

But people say the council has not previously listened to them when they said there was no need for any fencing around the park’s beach area, nor any booking system to use it.