A sudden barrier now splits a cherished shoreline, and tempers are rising fast. For decades, locals walked this northern stretch of Poole Harbour without a second thought; now a timber wall and strict signs block the way. Residents call the move a land grab, and they are ready to fight. The dispute touches heritage, law, and belonging in Sandbanks, where prestige homes face a foreshore people say they have always used.
Why Sandbanks residents call it a land grab
Campaigners say a 40-foot timber fence came from nowhere and changed daily life overnight. It stands near multi-million-pound homes on a quiet cul-de-sac called The Horseshoe. People who crossed this spot for years now meet warnings, barriers, and a cold lens that watches every step.
The Sandbanks Community Group tried to talk first, and those talks went nowhere fast. Their WhatsApp chat filled with messages urging action, and the committee chose to escalate. A lawyer has now been instructed to test rights and responsibilities on the shoreline.
The group frames the fence as private expansion into public space, and the language is strong. Residents call it a land grab because the effect feels sweeping and immediate. They also fear a domino effect across Sandbanks, where one barrier today might invite more tomorrow.
A fence, signs, and cameras reshape access
People describe a stark scene: the fence, the “Private Beach” notices, and a security camera with motion sensors. The structure appeared at the western end of the shore and runs perpendicular to nearby plots. It sits very close to the mean high water mark, which makes the squeeze obvious.
Neighbors say the fence blocks established routes and discourages families, paddleboarders, and casual walkers. They add that it looks harsh against the light curve of the beach, and the signs feel hostile. The camera adds pressure because movement triggers surveillance even for passing walkers.
Residents insist they want calm, not confrontation, yet the barrier leaves little room to share. They argue that access worked for years without incident and did not harm gardens. Because the fence narrows the way, they say daily life in Sandbanks has been changed.
What the community says the law allows
Locals draw a line at the mean high water mark and argue the foreshore below it stayed open. They say long, peaceful use created a prescriptive right for the public to keep walking there. The fence, placed near that line, now intrudes on a space many considered safely shared.
Alan Lester, a retired barrister and the group’s secretary, explains the claim in simple terms. Years of widespread, unhindered use can shape lawful expectations, so people believe their route is legitimate. The group wants clarity before habits, and hard edges, lock a new norm in place.
Chairman Norman Allenby Smith notes that earlier mediation “achieved nothing,” so the committee met and acted. They appointed a lawyer to advise on options because patience alone changed nothing. The public, he says, “always had access to the foreshore” near Sandbanks, and they want certainty.
Sandbanks shoreline, The Horseshoe, and a long memory
People remember walking this beach for more than eighty years, and those memories carry weight now. The Horseshoe’s homes rise behind the sand, yet the track along the water stayed open. Families crossed the strand without fuss, and no one shouted them back toward the road.
Sue Spencer, a homeowner since the 1980s, says she was challenged while walking on the foreshore. A resident told her the land was private and pointed to cameras that record movement. She recalls being able to walk the whole stretch without issue until very recently.
She believes newer money changed the mood, because status now speaks louder than neighborly trust. The fence and warnings signal a shift from quiet sharing to guarded control. For long-time residents, that shift cuts against the open, tidal rhythm that defined Sandbanks for decades.
Who decides where private gardens end
Homeowners say parts of the beach behind their gardens are private up to the high water line. They argue the space converts from shared to private as tides retreat and return each day. A resident asked bluntly how people would feel about strangers walking through a back garden.
Campaigners answer that the foreshore below the mean tidal line stayed public in practice for years. They say the fence blocks that path and could set a troubling precedent for others. If it stands, similar barriers could follow, and the easy walk would vanish in stages.
Because early talks failed, the community group will test the case in law. A hundred supportive messages filled their chat, and patience finally ran thin. The lawyer will assess positions and options while Sandbanks watches for the next move on the shore.
What matters next for access, trust, and the harbour’s shared space
The stakes sit beyond one fence, because the outcome may guide coastal access along this harbour. People want a balance that protects gardens while keeping tested routes open to walkers and families. If agreement fails, a court may decide whether long use secures rights at Sandbanks, and whether that fence must fall.