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Cott beach bed plan blocked

Knocked back: How the loungers at Cottesloe could have looked. Illustration: Supplied

Cottesloe council has knocked back plans for European-style sun lounges on the beach amid concerns it could hurt local business and was "not Australian".

Residents at last night's council meeting spoke against the proposal from private company Perth Outdoor Events Pty Ltd to put about 30 beach beds for hire on the beach this summer.

Rows of sun lounges are a common sight and popular fixture on European beaches but not in WA.

Fun's Back Surf owner Peter Dunn said his Cottesloe business had been hiring out umbrellas on the beach for 13 years.

"We support local schools and local surf clubs and we'd like to continue to hire umbrellas on the beach front," he said.

Cottesloe Ratepayers Association chair Yvonne Hart said she was concerned the proposal represented "the first step in privatisation of an area of the beach".

Another resident said it was "not Australian" and "reeks of south of Spain".

Councillors rejected the idea and said they did not believe there was enough detail about the proposal, including the total area likely to be taken up by the beds and what would happen to them at night.