Southwater Country Park paddling beach area to reopen

Horsham District Council is pleased to announce that Southwater Country Park paddling beach area will re-open safely to the public on Saturday 24 July.

Following feedback from residents earlier in the summer, the Council has been exploring options to reopen Southwater Country Park paddling beach safely as we start to come out of the worst of the pandemic, during what is anticipated to be a busy summer.

A new booking system is being introduced to provide a more enjoyable and leisurely experience for visitors to the Country Park by reducing overcrowding and addressing the risk of anti-social behaviour. The booking system is set to go live on Monday 19 July.

A maximum of 60 people will be allowed on the beach area at any time. This will be organised based on the number of individuals booked and will not restrict numbers per family.

Sessions will run from 10am to 5.15pm each day of the week when the gates will be locked, last entry will be at 3.15pm.

Bookings are free and can be made for 1 hour 30 minute sessions on the beach area, and must be made in advance. If you arrive at the park and the paddling beach session is not fully booked, you can book to join the session on your smartphone.

To make the Country Park an even more attractive offer for families, the Council are working on plans to trial summer evening outdoor catering in partnership with the current operators of the café. The mobile catering units will be situated outside the Café and will offer a variety of informal dining options, such as fish and chips.

As part of the preparations, from today (Tuesday 6 July) to Friday 9 July the beach area is being re-surfaced and topped with additional shingle.  The path alongside the beach will be closed during these works and diversions will be in place.

Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Roger Noel said:

We really welcome the news that the beach area of the Country Park will be re-opened in time for the school summer holidays and that the visitor experience at the park will be enhanced with outdoor catering.

We all deserve a great summer this year and we look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy all the great facilities the park has to offer as safely as possible.