Project aims to improve beach access for all

A pilot project aims to improve access to beaches and the sea for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

The Beach Access Project, led by wheelchair user Will Behenna, has secured funding from Dorset Council to test improvements at Weymouth Beach before expanding to other areas.

It will focus on practical changes like better paths, specialist equipment and staff training, with the aim of making Dorset "the UK's leading inclusive blue space capital".

Twelve locations across Dorset have already expressed interest in taking part.

Behenna said: "For many people, getting on to the beach or into the sea is still a real challenge. By working together and listening to people with lived experience, Dorset is showing what's possible."

The project is based on national research, which was presented in Parliament earlier this year, that had been led by Behenna in partnership with the University of Brighton.

It brings together Weymouth Town Council, Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club, Dorset Council and the Dorset Coast Forum.

Dorset Council's cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Steve Robinson, said: "This project is about listening to people with lived experience and making practical changes that open up our beaches safely and with dignity."

Councillor Ryan Hope, chair of Weymouth Town Council's environment and services committee, said the project would build on the town's "existing beach matting and beach wheelchair provision" to "take accessibility to the next level".

Plans for the improvements at Weymouth Beach are expected to be shared this summer.