Beach-checker app rolls out in West Sussex after successful trial
It helps us to avoid the crowds
An app that has been developed to help visitors avoid the busiest times at the beach is being rolled out in West Sussex.
Beach Check UK is free to download, and uses a traffic-light system to indicate which stretches of sand are packed or quieter.
It also provides updates on car-parking availability.
So far, it can be used to check the crowds at Worthing, Goring Greensward, Lancing Perch and Widewater.
Beach Check UK was launched in Bournemouth last summer.
At the time, Local Government Minister Luke Hall MP said: “We want everyone to enjoy a well-deserved summer, while continuing to minimise the spread of coronavirus.
“That’s why the government is funding Europe’s first innovative beach check app to allow people to check whether beaches are busy before travelling to avoid a surge of visitors.
"This will allow coastal communities to carefully welcome back visitors and will help local areas bounce back from the hardship faced by the pandemic.”
Victoria Cope was one of the first people to trial the app, and says it's good for residents as well as seaside visitors.
She told us: "I really wish there was a better way to restrict numbers of people on the beaches - I don't think there is, but this app feel like the next-best thing.
"I do want to be able to socially-distance properly.
"I don't feel that, as locals, we should be put off from going to the beach if we want to. That's one of the reasons that we live in this area."