In La Ciotat, Bouches-du-Rhône, the operators of deckchairs on the Grande Plage beach have been ordered to remove their installations. A ruling by the Marseille Administrative Court, issued on August 24, 2026, required them to vacate the public space within two days of notification, under penalty of a €10,000 fine per day. The deadline, as reported by franceinfo, was the evening of August 26: this date has passed, but the information available here does not allow us to confirm whether all the installations have actually been removed.
An expulsion due to lack of authorization
The case arises in the context of coastal erosion and the redrawing of the boundaries of the public maritime domain. However, the immediate basis for the August 24th order is the lack of authorization for the companies in question to occupy the beach. The judge notes that their previous permits had expired and that the municipality had not granted a new one for 2026. He therefore ordered the removal of the equipment and facilities. ( justice.pappers.fr )
The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône had filed a motion for summary judgment. In a statement, the prefecture also explained that previous permits had not been renewed and that commercial activity on the beach was continuing without authorization. ( fr.linkedin.com )
The decision should therefore not be interpreted as a general ban on deckchairs on all beaches in La Ciotat: it targets companies occupying this section of the Grande Plage without valid authorization. The court had already rejected, on August 5th, the request of two companies contesting the municipal refusal to authorize the occupation of the plot in question. ( justice.pappers.fr )
What changes for users and businesses
For swimmers, the removal of equipment should make the area accessible without private installations, subject to the actual situation observed on site. In its report published on August 26, franceinfo reported that a customer regretted the loss of a service she considered convenient for families and the elderly. The manager quoted by the media outlet feared a sharp drop in business and mentioned renting equipment that customers would install themselves.
These statements describe the concerns and solutions being considered by the operators; they do not confirm either the actual extent of their losses or the effective implementation of a new service. The court decision concerns the Grande Plage beach in La Ciotat, within the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area, and not the entire coastline of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
A situation to watch
The next useful information for residents and visitors concerns the practical application of the ordinance and any potential equipment rental arrangements. At this stage, the available information does not specify whether the operators have appealed to another jurisdiction or whether a new permit has since been granted.
Source: franceinfo- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Original article: See the original source
