Health and safety ‘killjoys’ blamed as Dorset council scraps popular beach rafts after 87 years
Weymouth Town Council has permanently removed two popular beach swimming rafts after 87 years due to health and safety concerns. Legal advice warned of significant public risk and potential criminal liability, prompting the decision despite public opposition. The rafts, used by generations of swimmers, will not return this summer. Critics blame excessive regulations and say the move undermines personal responsibility.
- ▪The swimming rafts off Weymouth beach, in place since 1939, have been scrapped due to health and safety risks identified by legal consultants.
- ▪The RNLI raised concerns that the rafts were outside lifeguards' primary response area, increasing danger to swimmers.
- ▪A council report concluded that no viable mitigation measures or insurance coverage exist to safely reinstate the rafts.
- ▪Local swimmers and residents have expressed anger, citing the rafts' long accident-free history and calling the decision an overreaction.
- ▪The removal follows the earlier withdrawal of pedalos, also attributed to safety rules and economic pressures.
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NewsUKHome NewsHealth and safety ‘killjoys’ blamed as Dorset council scraps popular beach rafts after 87 yearsThe platforms have been used by generations of swimmersJames Podesta Tuesday 28 April 2026 11:17 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2966289","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/weymouth-beach-rafts-removed-dorset-b2966289.html","title":"Health and safety ‘killjoys’ blamed as Weymouth scraps beach rafts after 87 years"}}Related: Dolphins play with Weymouth lifeboat crewYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read more{}Weymouth beach’s much-loved swimming rafts, a fixture of the Dorset resort for nearly 90 years, are being scrapped due to health and safety concerns. The two platforms, which have been moored in the sea off Weymouth since 1939 and used by generations of swimmers, will not return this summer, Weymouth Town Council has announced.The decision follows consultation with a law firm specialising in health and safety matters, which concluded the rafts posed a “significant risk to the public”.if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", renderedAtParagraph: 3'); }if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", injectedAtParagraph: 3'); }The firm warned that the council could face criminal liability in the event of a serious accident.The specialist advice was prompted by a warning from the RNLI, which said that the pontoons were “outside of their beach lifeguards “primary response area” and therefore presented a risk. A council officer’s assessment further characterised the rafts as an “artificial offshore attraction rather than a natural feature of the sea”, citing the Occupiers' Liability Acts and the Health and Safety at Work Act.The assessment said that breaching health and safety regulations is a criminal offence, with prosecution possible “even without an incident” if serious risks are left unmanaged. if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "taboola-carousel-thumbnails", injectedAtParagraph: 6'); }The move has led to some blaming health and safety “killjoys” for the loss of the popular amenity.open image in…
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