After nearly two decades off-limits to the public, a beloved UK beach could soon be on the verge of reopening. The East Sussex beauty spot was once a thriving hub for swimmers and sunbathers, but public access was shut down in 2008 on health and safety grounds.

Newhaven West Beach was a firm favourite among locals and visitors alike, until French owner Newhaven Port and Properties pulled the plug on access almost 18 years ago, citing crumbling cliffs, unstable walls and powerful waves as making the area “too dangerous”. Last month, fresh hope arrived when a new bill was put before Parliament aimed at paving the way for the beach’s reopening, should it be passed.

On April 28, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes James MacCleary introduced the Newhaven West Beach (Public Access) Bill to Parliament, in a bid to secure lawful public access to the “beautiful sandy beach”.

MacCleary said: “West Beach belongs in the life of Newhaven. For 17 years, families have been locked out of our town’s only sandy beach. Parents who played there as children have never been able to take their own children there – mine included. That is a real loss.”

MacCleary said he was “now seeing genuine momentum” as he pressed the Government to “adopt my Bill and make it law”. He said: “For too long, the people of Newhaven have been let down.

“Reopening West Beach would restore a treasured community space, revive local pride and allow a new generation to make memories there. Newhaven has waited long enough. It is time to give the town its beach back.”

Earlier attempts to reopen the cherished East Sussex beach have been turned down by Newhaven Port and Properties, citing health and safety concerns. Should it be approved and formally adopted by the Government, the legislation would compel the beach to be reopened to visitors and residents alike.

It would require the harbour authority to establish and maintain public access to the beach through safe pedestrian routes across the sand, permitting restrictions only where absolutely essential — for harbour operations or safety purposes.

MacCleary continued: “Of course, safety and harbour operations matter. But they cannot be used forever as a blanket excuse to keep people away from a much-loved public amenity.

“[The bill] sends a clear message: Newhaven deserves its beach back. The Government must now adopt this bill and make it law.”

Last September, MacCleary told The Argus: “West Beach is part of who we are in Newhaven. It was where children learned to swim, families gathered, and memories were made.

“Since 2008, it’s been shut, and an entire generation has grown up without access to their own sandy beach. I will not stop until West Beach is reopened for the community.”

The campaign to reopen Newhaven West Beach is part of wider efforts to regenerate the town and restore it as a premier seaside destination for locals and tourists alike.

Newhaven Fort welcomed visitors back last year following a remarkable £7.5 million refurbishment, which added an adventure playground and a new escape room to the 19th-century Palmerston fort and museum.

Ambitious proposals to launch a splash park, children’s play area, outdoor gym and restaurant along the East Sussex town’s seafront are also reportedly under way.