The beach in Great Britain was closed by a French company: 17-year struggle of residents.

According to The Sun: A 17-year campaign for the restoration of a sandy beach in a coastal town in Great Britain has made significant progress.

This popular beach was closed by a French company back in 2008.

A local councilor noted that the protesters are becoming increasingly 'angry and upset' over this decision.

However, negotiations are currently underway between officials from southern England and northern France on how residents can access the western beach in Newhaven after 17 years of disputes.

The beach was closed by Newhaven Port and Properties (NPP), the owner of the port in the town. The company claims that reopening the beach is 'too dangerous' due to its location at the bottom of a slope and beneath Newhaven Fort.

NPP also notes that the beach is part of the working area of the port, where large ferries regularly operate between Newhaven and Dieppe.

Mass event

Activists have been fighting for the restoration of the beach for many years, and in 2014, a 'mass incursion' occurred in the area.

Dozens of protesters used ladders to climb over the fence and access the beach. Among them were two activists from France.

At that time, a representative of the group noted that they had been 'using this beach safely and sensibly' for over 100 years.

“NPP shows us nothing but the utmost contempt, not even responding to our requests,” the spokesperson added.

The mass event took place after a successful ruling by the Court of Appeal that allowed East Sussex County to register the area as 'village green'.

Judges noted that this became possible due to 20 years of beach use by the community. However, NPP filed an appeal, and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the company in February 2015.

The struggle continues

Since then, activists have continued their fight for the beach, which has also been joined by local Liberal Democrat MP James McCleary. He lives in the town and is working with the mayor of Dieppe on plans to restore the beach after they met at a memorial service in Newhaven last month.

This agreement is being implemented against the backdrop of approval from the Lewes District Council planning committee for proposals to build a new restaurant and children's playground near the western beach last year.

The project is part of a £7.5 million town upgrade, which also includes an outdoor gym and upgraded children's facilities.

A meeting with the mayor of Dieppe took place just a few weeks after James met with NPP management. The company stated that there is 'no prospect' for the beach's restoration.

“This is part of our local culture and history, and the fact that it is closed to us is a source of frustration and great outrage felt in the region,” said James.

He expressed hope that the two towns could work 'more closely together' so that residents could use the beach in the future.

“I will support this dialogue [with the mayor of Dieppe] and believe that there are prospects in this. There is much greater openness and better understanding of what the future of the beach might look like,” he added.

At the time of writing this article, The Sun newspaper reached out to Newhaven Port and Properties for comment.

The situation with the beach in Newhaven remains tense. Local activists, supported by MPs, continue attempts to assert their rights to access their beloved beach, while NPP stands firm on its safety concerns. All this is part of a broader struggle for community rights in the UK, often linked with the preservation of natural resources and access to them.