Southend Council Demands £85 Weekly Fee for Free Beach Pilates Classes

2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 28

More than 100 people who attend Alexandra Beard’s free Sunday Pilates sessions at Bell Wharf beach could lose them after Southend-on-Sea City Council said she must pay £85 a week plus an admin charge.
Around 30 pages of paperwork were also required, Beard said, including an event application, risk assessment, public liability insurance, a first aider on site and an event management plan.
Beard, 35, said she cannot afford the charge for a class that asks only for charity donations, and added the council had not yet provided a detailed cost breakdown she requested.
Southend council said larger public activities must go through formal approval to ensure safety and proper use of public spaces, and said it was willing to discuss the concerns.
Regular attendees said the sessions support physical and mental health and offer a welcoming, low-cost alternative to gyms, making the new requirements feel unfair.

When a free wellness class becomes a huge success, should a city's first response be a bill?

Are safety regulations and fees unintentionally erasing the free community events that boost public health?