Mayor of Nice under fire for plan to expand private beaches

A PLAN to allow private beaches in Nice to expand into stretches that were previously free to the public has provoked a bitter row amid accusations of “segregation by money”.

Christian Estrosi, the conservative mayor of the town, says granting beaches that charge for admission an extra 50ft in width is a temporary measure to help them maintain social distancing without drastically reducing the number of customers. But Leftwing politicians accused him of cronyism and imposing “segregation by money at the expense of the poor”.

Mireille Damiano, a lawyer who heads a local coalition of Leftist parties, said: “For Mr Estrosi, social distancing means crowding those who cannot pay on reduced areas of beaches in order to give those who can pay more space.”

Mr Estrosi, who himself caught Covid-19 in March, rejects the charge of favouritism towards local businesses.

He argues that private beaches are a key part of Nice’s tourism-dependent economy and provide many jobs. “This measure is to give the tourist industry a chance to maintain revenue at an extremely difficult time,” he said. Nice has about 35 beaches, 15 of which are private. They rent deckchairs, beach umbrellas and loungers. Most have restaurants and bars serving lunch, cocktails and snacks.

Many Riviera beaches opened over the weekend for walking, swimming and individual sports, but crowds of sunbathers are not likely to be allowed back for many weeks.