Overview
- Weymouth Town Council confirmed the offshore platforms will not return for the 2026 season after safety and liability warnings.
- The RNLI said the rafts sat outside lifeguards’ primary response area, which is the core zone they can reach quickly from their posts.
- A specialist law firm and a council officer cited the Occupiers’ Liability Acts and the Health and Safety at Work Act, warning the council could be prosecuted even without an accident if known risks were not controlled.
- Insurers withdrew cover and no operator agreed to run or supervise the rafts, so officials said ideas like warning signs, limited hours, or raft tweaks would not hold up in practice.
- Residents who prize the almost 90‑year tradition voiced anger in letters and on the beach, with about 3,000 people signing a petition, and some fear the loss echoes other small attractions such as the pedalos.