Following the decision to remove the rafts at Greenhill, Weymouth, in 2025, the decision has been made that they cannot return. Following legal advice and the failure to be able to insure the rafts for any accidents or incidents, the council has been left with no choice but to not allow their usage.
Concerns over public safety and liability have reached a critical point as insurance companies refuse to provide cover for the controversial Weymouth harbour rafts, leaving their future hanging firmly in the balance.
A legal firm specialising in health and safety has reviewed extensive documentation, including material from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), insurers, council committees and internal correspondence. Their conclusion is stark: there is “clear and compelling evidence of a significant risk to the public.”
According to the firm’s findings, the risks associated with the rafts are not only serious but effectively unmanageable. Attempts to introduce safety measures have been deemed unrealistic in practice. The report highlights that “effective mitigation measures for the rafts are not realistically deliverable,” pointing to the inherent difficulty of supervising their use in an open harbour environment.
A key issue underpinning the decision is the absence of any organisation willing to take on responsibility for operating or monitoring the structures. Without a capable operator to provide supervision and enforce safety controls, the rafts remain exposed to misuse and unpredictable conditions. As a result, the risks have been classified at the highest possible level.
Perhaps most damning is the position taken by insurers. The withdrawal of insurance cover has effectively sealed the rafts’ fate. Without insurance, any incident could expose authorities to significant legal and financial consequences. The report makes clear that this cover “cannot currently be reinstated,” removing any viable pathway to keeping the rafts in operation.
In light of these findings, the legal advice is unequivocal. The removal of the rafts is described as “the only option that can properly be regarded as legally and operationally defensible.”
The decision is likely to divide opinion amongst the Weymouth population and beyond, with some residents valuing the rafts as a long-standing summer attraction. However, with safety concerns mounting and no insurer willing to take the risk, authorities now face a stark choice; act decisively or leave themselves exposed to potentially serious consequences.
