National Trust angers locals as Middle Beach café to be demolished

Anyone who’s enjoyed a stroll at Studland has no doubt dropped in at the Middle Beach café for a quick bite or warming drink, but the popular, long-standing café is closing in January after the National Trust has decreed it unsafe.

Although a café has existed on the site for over 100 years and remains 20-30 metres away from the shoreline, the National Trust claims that because of coastal erosion the building will soon be dangerous. Plans are in place to bulldoze the café in the new year as part of the Trust’s ‘managed retreat’ policy. 

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “The coastal erosion at Middle Beach has reached the point whereby the current facilities are now on the cliff edge and will shortly become unsafe, so this move is about ensuring continuity of café and toilets facilities for visitors.” 

Over 1,000 furious locals, including some National Trust members, signed a petition protesting against the decision and encouraging the Trust to spend £15,000 on extra sea defences, but the demolition will still go ahead.  

Paul Brown, 58, and his two sisters, have held the lease for the café since 1989. 

“The National Trust has decided that the time has come to get rid of the café,” he said. “That's the end of it. That's 10 jobs all gone. I am sad to say goodbye, but I can't fight nature and I definitely can't fight the National Trust. 

'We've tried – there have been petitions – but it hasn't worked. In the long term, the Trust is not wrong but it is also not right either.” 

Paul and nine others will be out of work from the 2nd January. In the meantime, the Trust, which was given the land at Middle Beach in 1982 as the biggest ever land donation, has submitted a planning application for a temporary catering unit to be positioned further back in the Middle Beach car park. 

Julie Peters, Studland project manager for the National Trust, said: “Our cafe tenant has provided an amazing offer for visitors over the years. His lease is shortly due to end, and he has decided not to put in a tender for the new offer, which we hope to have in place early in the New Year. 

“Sadly, climate change is having a visible impact on the coastline at this location and even the presence of the current sea defences has failed to prevent change over the last few years. At high tide, there is often very little beach at all. 

“However, at Middle Beach, the issues are not solely due to sea level rise, but also from the changing weather patterns of drought and then torrential rain, which has caused significant cliff erosion.” 

But local parish councillor and retired civil engineer, Andrew Parsons, disagrees and claims the Trust is committing an act of ‘foolish vandalism’. He said: 

“'This is not what the National Trust should be doing. The Trust is meant to conserve buildings of historical value, not to autocratically decide to demolish them for reasons that are far from clear. That's not what people join the National Trust for. I am a civil engineer and it is complete and utter rubbish that the cafe will fall into the sea. It will not do that in a million years. 

“The National Trust has acted very badly indeed,” he continued. “They are pursuing an agenda which is at odds with the wishes of the local community and their own remit. Who knows what their ultimate aim is. There is no local support for demolishing the cafe. It will be a very foolish act of vandalism when it happens.” 

By Emily McGregor, Local News and Lifestyle Reporter