Full Breakdown
SOBO Beach Café Granted 11-Month Extension Amid Community Debate
By Drooid · · How we work
Extension Granted to SOBO Beach Café
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has approved an extension that allows the SOBO Beach café on Southbourne promenade to remain in place for an additional 11 months, pushing its occupancy to September 2027. The original lease was set to end on 31 October, after which a different operator had been slated to take over from 1 December. Councilors voted at a full-council meeting on Tuesday to postpone the handover, giving the café a temporary reprieve while the council’s “preferred bidder” prepares to assume the 20-year lease.
Background and Community Response
The café, a popular seaside venue, has become the focus of a local campaign to secure a permanent location. Supporters have gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition demanding that the council adopt SOBO Beach as the long-term leaseholder. The petition was organized by Dan Astin-Gregory, a resident of Southbourne, who highlighted both enthusiasm for another summer season and concern that the council continues to favor an undisclosed preferred bidder.
Official Council Decision
BCP Council’s decision reflects a compromise: the café can continue operating while the council finalizes arrangements with its chosen operator. Council officials have not provided a detailed timeline for the transition, but the extension is intended to give the preferred bidder time to ready the site for the eventual 20-year lease takeover.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We welcome another summer season for SOBO Beach, which we love. But the decision has mixed feelings because it still shows that the council's proceeding with its preferred bidder.” — Dan Astin-Gregory, a local resident
What’s Next
Supporters intend to use the extension period to appeal the council’s choice of a preferred bidder and to press for a permanent lease arrangement. No specific hearing dates have been announced, and the council has indicated that further discussions will occur as the preferred bidder readies its proposal.