Riptide, the gym on the beach, Brighton

Hello

It is with great regret and deep sadness that we must inform you that from Monday 6th May, Riptide Gym (on the beach), 150 – 154 Kings Road Arches, has been forced to cease operating in its current location, vacate and close its premises.

Sunday the 5th of May will be our last day of being open.

This follows a very recent notice and negotiation between solicitors on behalf of Riptide, the Council and Highways this last week.

The action we have been instructed to take is due to the conclusion from an assessment commissioned by Brighton and Hove Council, with regard to the super structures giving support to the highway (only at 150-154 Kings Road Arches) which are close to limits of their capacity to bear the load of pedestrian use of the footway and may not be capable of bearing the weight if a vehicle were to accidentally mount the footway.

The instruction and assessment asks us to appreciate that this presents a serious risk of danger to both users of the premises and highway and that the Council is under duty to take this action to ensure the safety of both users of the highway and of the premises itself. Officers are currently monitoring the situation in this period before our last trading date.

The council are then due to enter the premises and carry out ‘propping up’ and remedial work, which makes the premises’ unusable, yet the structure safe.

We understand how shocking and upsetting this news is.

No more Direct Debits are due to be taken with immediate effect.

The council are assisting us in a full relocation. (This may be a few months)

We have a location to run Riptide Boot Camp and will have this website and location up and running by mid May.

If you would like to take part, email us. It will be great to continue training you.

(www.riptidebootcamp.co.uk) (website to go live by June)

Please feel free to write to manager@riptide.co.uk

On behalf of the whole team at Riptide, present and past (so many are still involved with daily life here), may we take this opportunity to thank you so very very much for your custom and support.

Thank you for choosing little independent us down here on the beach, allowing us to attend to your varied wants and needs, your life and wellbeing, being with you in celebration’s and troubles,  tears and laughter and privileging us by sharing your daily lives with us.

A huge thanks for your enthusiasm and appreciation of where and how the business operates, in all its various forms of decoration, organisation and make up, and its utterly unique charm down here on the beach, between the piers since 1996.

We will keep you up to date on where and when you can find us.

With love and a healthy kick - Riptide

T: 01273725444

Following an inspection in 2012 of the seafront arches at the bottom of West Street, occupied by the Riptide Gym, engineers identified some potential problems with the overall condition of the structure. The Arcadia Kiosk, seafront toilets and the Beach Hut catering kiosk are also located here and are potentially affected.

The structural assessment has shown that the arches have deteriorated and that they are close to their absolute limits to support pedestrian loading on the pavement above. As a result the council has given notice to the businesses using the arches to mitigate the risk to pedestrians and cyclists using the pavement above and occupiers below.

The council has been working closely with the owners of the Riptide Gym to find an alternative premises in the city for relocation. A smaller temporary location has been found for the gym in the short term including temporary storage to help the owner during the relocation.

This section of the seafront was built in the 1880s and the poor condition of the structure is due to its age. The council is legally required to ensure that the safety of the general public is not put at risk. This will be achieved by propping the structure.  The interior of the structure will also need to be stripped back so that a more detailed investigation and survey can be completed before engineering designs are drawn up. The work is not being done as a result of changes to the A259 or the junction at the bottom of West Street.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden:

“It is with great regret that we have had to give notice to the tenants of the seafront arches at the bottom of West Street. A structural survey has shown that the arches have deteriorated and work to support the carriageway needs to start as soon as possible. We will of course continue to help and support the tenants during this difficult time.“

Matt Bartsch, Owner of the Riptide Gym:

“We are working closely with the council to find a new location as quickly as possible to minimise any disruption to the members of the gym. Whilst its regrettable that we need to move we understand that the work needs to be done to make sure that the arches are safe.”