Weymouth'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, moored in the sea since 1939, will not return this summer after Weymouth Town Council voted against their reinstatement.
The decision followed consultation with a law firm specialising in health and safety, which concluded the rafts posed a “significant risk to the public”. 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 stated the pontoons were outside their lifeguards' primary response area.
A council officer’s assessment characterised the rafts as an “artificial offshore attraction” and cited the Occupiers' Liability Acts and the Health and Safety at Work Act. The assessment noted that breaching health and safety regulations is a criminal offence, with possible prosecution even without an incident.
The move has sparked anger among beach users, with some blaming health and safety “killjoys”. Christine James of the Weymouth Bluetits sea swimming group said: “Health and safety has gone bloody mad. The council is running scared of health and safety... What happened to people taking personal responsibility?”
A Weymouth Town Council spokesperson said legal advice provided “clear and compelling evidence of a significant risk” and that “effective mitigation measures are not realistically deliverable”. They added that no operator is willing to provide necessary supervision, and insurance cover for the rafts has been withdrawn.
