New plan for Felixstowe's beach huts branded 'ludicrous' by owners
Existing huts could be moved closer to the sea in a bid to squeeze more in
Last updated 22nd Nov 2022
A plan to accommodate displaced beach huts in Felixstowe by moving existing huts more than 5 metres closer to the sea has been described as “ludicrous” by a beach hut association.
Felixstowe Beach Hut and Chalet Association criticised the application by East Suffolk Council on the basis of damage caused by the sea.
The proposals will be considered by the council’s planning committee tomorrow.
In 2018, 55 huts were moved to the promenade from the Spa Pavilion due to coastal erosion. An application for 30 of these to be relocated has already been approved – leaving 14.
The proposal is for a row of 19 huts on Manor Road to be brought 5.4 metres forward, making room for 14 to sit behind them – in a staggered formation so sea views will be maintained.
Julie Downton, secretary of the Felixstowe Beach Hut and Chalet Association, said: “In the 1980s there was a second row of huts at this location, which were severely damaged by high tides and stormy weather.
“The front row crashed into the back row and several huts were washed over the edge of the promenade and into the sea.
“Only April this year, a high tide caused a lot of damage near Manor Road. East Suffolk Council re-sites the beach huts but this comes with an expense to hut owners.
“It seems ludicrous to put 14 huts here. The people who are already sited there don’t want to move forward as it makes them very vulnerable.”
The secretary laid out plans to resubmit an application for the huts to be situated north of the site being considered tomorrow.
The initial application was refused in April as it encroached on a UK and Suffolk priority habitat called coastal vegetated shingle. Ms Downton said a new ecology report had been carried out, showing the beach huts and vegetation could accommodate one another.
Though the site of the new application is just a few hundred metres from the rejected one, East Suffolk Ecology stated it was mostly bare shingle.