Save The Pitstop - Give Our Community a Chance to Save It ❤️

The Pitstop is so much more than just a building to local families. It’s somewhere our children can play, families can meet and people can spend time together. It has become a really important part of our local community, and the thought of losing it is genuinely upsetting.

But The Pitstop isn’t just for families with young children. It is a community space enjoyed and valued by all generations, children, parents, grandparents, young people and older residents. It brings people together and provides somewhere for the wider Southwold community to meet, socialise and enjoy time together. Its value goes far beyond the building itself.

We understand that there are concerns about the condition of the building and fire and health and safety. Of course, nobody wants children or families using a building that isn’t safe.

But what we are asking is why can’t the community have the opportunity to try and save it?

We’ve been told that the building is at the end of the road and that the council is happy to look at any plan that is legal and doesn’t become a drain on the rates.

If that’s the case, then surely the community should be given the chance to find out exactly what needs to be done, how much it would cost and whether there are ways we could help.

There are so many local people who clearly care about The Pitstop and would be willing to support a campaign to save it. We could look into grants, fundraising and other options to see whether there is a realistic way forward.

We aren’t asking the council to ignore health and safety. We are asking them to work with the community and give us the information and opportunity to see if the problems can be fixed.

We are asking East Suffolk Council and the Southwold Common Trust to work with local residents to understand exactly what is needed to make The Pitstop safe, what the likely costs would be, and whether grants, fundraising or other community-led solutions could help secure its future.

The Pitstop and its outdoor space are hugely important to the whole community, across all generations, and we believe Southwold should be given a genuine opportunity to help find a way forward before this much-loved community space is lost.

Please sign this petition and help us show that Southwold wants to keep The Pitstop and that we are willing to come together as a community to try and save it. ❤️