Bye bye beach clubs

They are the most exclusive beach shacks in Europe, charging upwards of €100 (£83) for a meal - wine not included - and €17 (£14) a day for a parasol. Kate Moss, Bono and Bruce Willis are among their jet-setting customers, but at the end of this summer season, Pampelonne beach clubs will begin to be demolished and moved off the beach behind a sandbank to preserve the nature of the beaches.

This dispute has been going on since 2006, but finally the beach clubs of Pampelonne beach near Saint Tropez will have to abide by the new rules installed by the state.

New plans mean the clubs will be demolished by the end of this season and rebuilt further back from the sea in light-weight construction materials, without difficult-to-remove material such as concrete. Furthermore, the clubs will be built behind a "dune" along the beach; any in front of the dune would have to be taken down each autumn. On top of this, the number of clubs, currently 26, would also be limited to 23. There were 27 beach clubs, but the closure of beach clubs has already begun, with Voile Rouge- some would call this beach club infamous- being the first to close in 2011.

Under legislation adopted in 1986, there is no such thing as a private beach and the public must have unfettered access to the sea. However, the state has allowed exceptions for temporary beach installations, regulated by local authorities

Gulf of Saint-Tropez tourism director Emmanuel Bertrand said some of the clubs break Loi Littoral rules on allowing a sufficient strip of public space by the sea, some are too solidly constructed for a protected natural area and overall they cover too much of the beach. "It is either a compromise or the state will demand the beach is stripped of clubs completely," he said. Mr Bertrand added the "dune" would be a reconstruction of an existing feature and only around a metre high.

Despite this, numerous people are unhappy with this decision as the clubs will become smaller, making it difficult to reserve tables, and there will be little, if any, sea view, which is one of the main attractions of a beach club restaurant.

Back in 2010, the Saintt Tropez beach clubs, which for years have welcomed the rich and famous, launched a petition against their demolition under coastline planning laws. The president of the Pampelonne Beach Club Owners' Association, Carol Balligand, said the plans mean the complete destruction of all the beach facility buildings.

"If nothing is done about it, it means the death of Pampelonne as we know and love it," she said. “Replacement clubs would have no sea view and be smaller, with fewer sun loungers.” Additionally, some plots could be allocated to big hotel groups, not existing club owners. "It's the whole spirit of Pampelonne, which has grown up over nearly 60 years, that will disappear.”

The club owners' association launched a petition online and on the beach and said it had collected thousands of names. They have also threatened to strike if the plans were confirmed. A strike would be chaotic as the beaches have an annual turnover of 40 million euros a year and employ around 600 people.

The mairie of Ramatuelle has drawn up new strict regulations for the 4.5km sandy beach at Pampelonne, which has been fashionable since “Et Dieu Créa la Femme” (And God created Woman) was filmed there with Brigitte Bardot in 1955. Mayor Roland Bruno said new rules are needed to find a happy medium between the conservation of nature and tourism, as the beach clubs have flourished in what is now officially classed as a "remarkable natural area".

The plans are out to public consultation and would need a final OK from the state, though the mairie has already agreed them in principle.