Storm clouds are gathering over the private beach cafés of the French riviera. But it's not the weather that worries the operators of the exclusive private beaches along the coast, which is the playground of the international jet set. They're up in arms because the government has decided to crack down on construction at private beach resorts, reports The Guardian.
According to Geneviève Rebufat-Frilet, a lawyer representing private beach club managers, authorities have begun to serve notice to private operators in the south of France that all buildings – even those with planning permission – must be demolished once their permit comes to an end. "Some beaches are being recategorised as remarkable places, in which case no reconstruction is allowed," she says.
Rebufat-Frilet describes it as a witch hunt by the state. "This is really a big worry for us. It's one thing to say no new construction, but completely another to order the destruction of property, particularly when it's been there for decades."
Under legislation adopted in 1986, there is no such thing as a private beach and the public must have unfettered access to the sea. However, the state has allowed exceptions for temporary beach installations, regulated by local authorities. On Monday, Cannes city hall handed out five new private beach permits for a 12-year period.
The confrontation is the latest in a series of beach wars to erupt in France since 2006. A government decree that year stated that everything, including parasols and tables, must be able to be dismantled and transported so that a private beach could return to its "original state".
Read more of this report from The Guardian.