Sandsfoot Beach Car Park - Temporary Closure
Published 7:12pm on 1 Sep 2022
Castle Cove Sailing Club (CCSC) has temporarily closed their Sandsfoot Beach car park at the end of Old Castle Road effective from 1st September 2022.CCSC is a Community Amateur Sports Club committed to supporting the public enjoyment of Sandsfoot Beach in a safe and responsible manner.Since purchasing the site in 2002, the sailing club has made every effort to enable public access.The grounds have been maintained, public bins have been provided and CCSC have entered into an agreement with Dorset Council for the provision of Public Liability insurance.A small car park has been made available for free public use during the day however, overnight parking is strictly prohibited.
Unfortunately, a small number of people have been occupying the car park for long term camping to the detriment of the land and the local community.Regrettably, CCSC has been forced to take action.CCSC has worked closely with the local authorities to ensure that the campers are moved on through appropriate action which is considerate of the welfare of all stakeholders and in the interests of the general public.
The car park will now be temporarily closed for the rest of the summer to allow refurbishment and the development of measures to prevent further overnight camping.Sandsfoot beach remains open and CCSC is very happy to welcome the public to enjoy this wonderful corner of Portland Harbour in a safe and responsible fashion.CCSC is a long-term supporter of the local community and plans to re-open the car park to the general public as soon as possible.In the meantime, the public are asked not to park on the private land at the end of Old Castle Road or to take vehicles onto the beach.
David Brock,
CCSC Commodore
Background on Castle Cove Sailing Club
Castle Cove Sailing Club (CCSC) was established in 1923 and has a long tradition of providing a sustainable, enjoyable, friendly and inclusive club environment for the best affordable and competitive family-friendly sailing on the South Coast.Run almost entirely by volunteers we provide facilities for over 600 members with 246 dinghies and 75 keelboats registered with the club.CCSC is an active and vibrant Community Amateur Sports Club which runs over 50 race series each year for a variety of classes of boats and an additional 17 cup races.The club is very active in promoting keelboat cruising and has a strong cadet section of over 50 children with weekly on-water training sessions.CCSC is a constituent body of the Yacht Clubs of Weymouth and helps to provide the annual Weymouth Regattas for dinghies and keelboats.The club is highly regarded in the sailing community and hosts a number of open meetings each year for visiting sailing associations from across the country.Castle Cove Sailing Club supports many community initiatives including Weymouth Outdoor Education Centre and Chesil Sailability in their work in providing access to sailing for everyone.The club is also working with the Marine Conservation Society to find ways to preserve the growth of sea grass as a natural habitat in Portland Harbour.Castle Cove Sailing Club welcomes new members and sailing at CCSC is a great way to enjoy our fabulous coastal environment in friendly company.