Thames 'plage' plan runs aground again

Plans for a beach on the South Bank have been thrown into chaos after a blunder by councillors.

Lambeth's planning committee was last night expected to approve the scheme but the application had to be deferred after councillors, for the second time in a month, failed to visit the site beside the London-Eye before their meeting. This means the bid, from the South Bank Centre (SBC), cannot be considered until 7 June at the earliest - only weeks before the beach is due to open. The SBC had applied to convert a coach park beside the Golden Jubilee Bridge - formerly Hungerford Bridge - and part of the Jubilee Gardens into a beach and open-air cinema temporarily.

It would mirror the artificial beach built each year in Paris, known as Paris Plage.

The SBC wants to run the beach for 62 days from July until September, to attract visitors to the area after the Royal Festival Hall closes for 18 months for refurbishment.

Two strips of decking, each containing a sandpit, would be erected next to Queen's Walk. A café ¡nd water spray area would be built alongside. The beach would be open from 9am to 10pm seven days a week.

The cinema would be built on the coach park and have capacity for 1,000 people. From midday until 5.30pm it would double up as a beach volleyball arena, with barbecues at weekends.

Lambeth's planning officers recommended the scheme be approved. But the proposal attracted 15 objections.