Great Yarmouth: Inflatables firm says safety 'goalposts' were moved

Ash Lawrence and Justin Barron

The owners of seaside inflatables sites which were shut down by a council say the goalposts were moved as they tried to comply with safety rules.

Justin Barron and stepson Ash Lawrence own three of the four sites in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, served prohibition notices by the borough council.

They said they spent £2,000 on tests to show they met regulations.

However, the council said an on-the-spot inspection found the "ground anchorage system... did not conform".

Earlier this month, the authority told the BBC it had received new guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over anchoring systems for inflatables.

Inflatable play parks along Great Yarmouth beach have been shut down, with owners saying they do not know when they will reopen

The pair were served the prohibition notices two weeks ago for their inflatable play sites along the resort's beach.

They said that despite paying for an independent inspection - with all the technical capabilities of the timber anchor points passing load tests - they have now been asked to change the construction of the blocks, without explanation.

"We've jumped through all the hoops they're saying, but now they just keep coming up with other rules," said Mr Barron.

"We can either use concrete blocks or a gravel system, but that's all I've been told so far.

"There are only so many days left of the season, so we don't know when we're going to be open."

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said it was supporting the beach operators

In a statement, the council said: "An officer identified the ground anchorage system did not conform to an anchorage system that can be found within the applicable safety standard.

"This standard has been in place for a number of years.

"We want to support our operators and have advised them as to how they can comply, in conjunction with colleagues from the HSE due to the technical nature of this issue."

It added that it expected operators to be aware of the requirements to run businesses safely.

The HSE said there had been no recent changes to the legislation or guidance.

In a statement, it said it had provided technical support to the council after site inspections.

"This identified an anchorage system that had no design specification, calculations, or any other evidence to confirm its safety and suitability," it said.

"All operators must manage the risks they create - they must satisfy themselves they have acted on well-established guidance."

The HSE added it had not told an operator in Great Yarmouth that they needed to use concrete blocks or other ballast systems, but that it needed "proper evidence" that the anchorage system met British Safety standards.

The operators of the suspended sites said it had been a tough year compounded by fewer visitors and poor weather at the start of the season

In 2018, three-year-old Ava Littleboy was killed when an inflatable trampoline exploded in nearby Gorleston.

The owners of the device - Curt Johnson and his company Johnsons Funfair Ltd - admitted breaching health and safety regulations and will be sentenced in November.