Entrepreneur fights to keep Heart Park and Beach open

Buy photos » Stephen Hammon, the managing director of Heart Beach, has vowed to carry on fighting to keep it open. (S)

HEART Park and Beach will be open in 2013 – that is the message from the determined owner of England’s most central beach.

Entrepreneur Stephen Hammon is the brains behind the beach at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the West Midlands.

A three-day meeting into alleged breaches of planning regulations at Heart Park and Beach was held in September and a planning inspector has since ruled that the 1.4million venture must be torn up.

And now Hammon, who has been overwhelmed by the level of support he has received from the public, is starting the next stage of his campaign to keep Heart Park and Beach open by lodging an appeal with the High Court.

He said: "I am carrying on with the fight to keep Heart Park and Beach open and have lodged an appeal at the High Court because I passionately believe in the attraction."

"Once again we had thousands of families and students enjoy a great day out throughout the summer without having to travelling long distances and that is an important factor in these tough economic times when petrol costs are increasing.

"The number of letters to the local media and comments on social networking sites has spurred me on not to give up and I have been really heartened by the support and positive comments which have underlined this is a beach which is loved by youngsters and adults alike.

"We are continuing to fight and we will open Heart Park and Beach with or without a sandy beach in 2013."

Regional news »