Who owns the beach in front of my house

[Beachlife55]

Anyone know anything about the use of the foreshore? I live next door but one to a restaurant and face the beach. The restaurant have just put 2 huge tables wit attached seating so not moveable, along with windbreak and parasols, on the beach directly in front of my house. I asked the Planning department and they said the restaurant was fine to do this as it's an area that people socialise in already. They already have tables on the pathway in front of their restaurant. To me this sounds dodgy and I am trying to pursue it by finding out about beach ownership. I think I read somewhere that the property owner owns the beach above the high water mark in front of their house, and the Crown owns it between high and low water mark. And it can't be used for commercial purposes. Looking for advice before I take this further but don't know what to do next.

And also check your legal report from when you purchased the house. I would be suprised if it didn’t mention ownership of the beach because it’s quite unusual. Check the section on boundaries.

Maybe don’t be so derogatory about people who get off their arse and do something about this sort of thing, on behalf of the community as a whole. Their ‘busybodying’ probably means they know exactly who to contact and what to say in support of the OP.

Nude sunbathing?
That would certainly put people off their lunch if I did it

It's called a mosquito or something. It apparently emits a high pitched noise only people of a certain age can hear (young).

Brilliant idea but not sure it would deter the general population

A house near us has it. My sons can hear it, but I can’t.

This.
But I can't understand how it's signed off from a health and safety side.
If it's a busy social area, and available for everyone, who pays when someone breaks their leg tripping over it?

😂

I'd bet my firstborn child that It isn't signed off from a health and safety point of view.

This is what the legal textbook Halsbury's Laws has to say about this:

In the absence of contrary evidence, the boundary of land adjoining the sea lies at the top of the foreshore. The foreshore is that part of the shore lying between the ordinary high and low water marks. Land below the medium line of the foreshore belongs to the Crown.

Everyday’s a school day! And I never actively considered these perimeters before.

Sounds like a useful table for your DC’s arts and crafts, the messier the better.

My understanding of this scenario is that as this is a public 'socialising' area - they can typically put chairs and tables out but they can't stop the general public from using them generally. For example, they can do it to encourage people to use their restaurant but they can't stop people from taking their own food and drink and using these tables. Just like there would be nothing to stop you from taking a picnic table and chairs to the beach yourself. You can do it but you leave them there at your own risk.

I don't think licensing laws would permit them to serve food and drink directly to those tables - meaning customers would need to purchase food and drink at a counter and take it away to those tables themselves (no waiter service). I think you will find this is why the tables in front of them are on their own property and not the beach - as they are only licensed to serve on their own premises.

If it was me, I would take photos of the signage (not allowing the general public to use for their own food/drink) and also footage of their staff serving people at those tables and provide that to council/licensing.

I only know this as we used to have something similar near to us. We would go to the bar order a bottle of wine - to get the glasses and wine bucket of ice. We would then have our own cool box full of wine top ourselves up using the wine bucket and glasses. Win/Win.

I've a worse one than that for disgusting smell. Collect seaweed in a bucket add water put a lid on and keep for several weeks eeek

Great tips - I'll keep you posted

If they own part of the beach it will show on the owners Deeds. However could be tricky asking them this question.

I'm moving to the coast next week and happy to come along and plonk myself down for a few demos if you are in North Cornwall! 🪧

Thinking about other things you could do to deter them, I definitely think a speaker playing "I know a song that'll get on your nerves" on repeat might help too...

You don’t need to ask the question as provided it’s registered for £3 each you can get a copy of the Land Register and Title Plan.

Treated Timber is quite smelly and toxic when burned, in there’s a… “convenient” source nearby.

Treated Timber is quite smelly and toxic when burned, in there’s a… “convenient” source nearby.

Put them through the restaurant window and say a really big wave did it.

This is interesting. Crown estates own almost half of beaches. Duchy of Lancaster also hold large portfolio of property including beaches, in trust for the Sovereign. In that case there’ll be a lease which sets out T&Cs for use of the land and beach.
HMLR will hold a copy of the lease. You need the Title.

Can you not start using the tables as your own and thank them for giving you their extra tables?