Council causes 'frustration' after Pilates class forced to moved from beach to small cafe

A council has caused “frustration” after a Pilates class was forced to move from the beach to a small cafe.

Free community sessions which attracted up to 150 people to a beach in Essex have had to change location after the local council imposed an £85-a-week fee on the instructor.

Alexandra Beard, 35, had been running free Sunday morning classes on Bell Wharf Beach in Leigh-on-Sea for residents before Southend-on-Sea City Council told her she needed to make a formal application to continue.

The requirements included a first aider on site, an event management plan, a risk assessment and the weekly fee.

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Ms Beard has since moved the group to Bits On The Side cafe, but says only around 12 to 14 people can fit in the space, leaving roughly 100 regular attendees unable to take part.

She told the BBC: "I think we fit maybe 12 or 14 people in here and so there's about 100 people that haven't exercised just because we don't have the room for it in here."

Ms Beard said she already held £10million in public and teacher liability insurance and would be happy to comply with the other documentation requirements, but she has called on the council to waive the weekly charge.

She said: "I can't afford to pay £85 every time I do it and I think it's really out of proportion to what the event is for."

The pilates teacher expressed frustration the council had categorised her sessions as a formal event rather than a community initiative taking place on what she considered a free public beach.

She said: "There's no barriers, you don't have to pay anything, it's completely free. I wanted to create a really nice kind of community vibe. You just bring yourself and a mat and that's all you need."

Participants who have been squeezed into the smaller cafe setting have also spoken of their frustration at the situation.

Stacey Hamilton, 43, said the sessions were a community initiative rather than a business venture, adding: "It just doesn't make sense."

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Scarlett Philp, 30, questioned the council's priorities, saying: "Where you've got all the fights and the kids, surely they should be focusing on fixing those rather than taking away our free community thing."

One woman said she could not understand why the sessions had been effectively cancelled, adding they were a great start to the morning and good for mental health.

Cafe owner Brad Allen stepped in to offer his garden space after seeing Ms Beard struggling to find an alternative venue.

He said: "Community's changing, the area's changing and I think it's about time that the council get on with it as well.

“Alex was doing a great thing for the area and all I wanted to do is help."

Southend-on-Sea City Council said organisers using public spaces were required to make formal applications to ensure safety and safeguarding measures were in place.

Cabinet member for business, culture, music and tourism Matt Dent said the council recognised the "positive impact" such events could have on communities but said there was a responsibility to ensure gatherings involving large numbers of people were managed properly.

He said the council understood the requirements could feel like a lot and confirmed it had met with Ms Beard to discuss her concerns and was taking steps to find a way forward.

Ms Beard said she remained hopeful a solution could be found allowing the sessions to return to the beach but said, until then, the community would continue to meet in whatever space was available.

The sessions had built up a loyal following since they began, with attendees of all ages turning up each Sunday morning, some travelling from further afield specifically to take part.

GB News has approached Southend-on-Sea City Council for comment.

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