Newhaven beach campaigners vow to continue fight

Campaigners submitted pictures taken on the beach to the inquiry to prove it had been in public use

Campaigners have vowed to continue their fight to regain use of a south coast beach which remains shut despite being reclassified as a village green.

The owner of Newhaven beach, Newhaven Port and Properties (NPP), closed it in 2008 because of safety concerns.

East Sussex County Council has agreed to register it as a village green following a planning inquiry in July.

But NPP said the beach would remain closed while it submitted an application for a judicial review.

Newhaven Town Council has been campaigning to get West Beach reclassified and reopened on the grounds that it had been in use by local people and visitors for 100 years.

The planning inspector ruled in October that it should be classified as a village green and the county council agreed last week.

But town councillor Carla Butler said: "I am not cracking open the champagne until we get back on the beach.

"We will continue our campaign."

NPP, which also has 60 days to appeal against the county council's decision, said in a statement: "We will be submitting an application for a judicial review.

"In the meantime the site will remain closed."