Owners ordered to stop ‘pimping’ Essex beach huts

Existing ban on alterations and rentals being enforced by council after years of it turning a blind eye

OWNERS of sought-after beach huts on Essex seafronts have been warned by a council to stop making extravagant additions, such as balconies, decking and patios, to the structures.

The move has angered some, who say the unexpected demand to stick to the rules could leave them out of pocket.

The huts – at Frinton-on-sea, Clacton-on-sea, Walton-on-the-naze and other resorts – can sell for tens of thousands of pounds and owners must buy a licence from Tendring district council stating they must meet certain building specifications and cannot be rented out.

Despite this, owners have long leased the huts for £150 to £200 a day for parties and other events.

Although the practice is technically banned, a thriving micro-economy has emerged without the council intervening. Owners say the rentals have led to gentrification and provided work for local cleaning and catering businesses.

But the council has sent a letter informing them of a review of the licences, saying it wants to “address those beach hut adaptations which fall outside of the existing specification and licence conditions”. “Whilst most beach huts fall within the standard dimensions, there are some which fall outside, with the addition of balconies/patios/ decking areas.”

The letter adds that photographs of the front, back and sides of huts must be submitted if they are put on the market, and if a breach is detected it must be reversed in line with the code before the sale can go through.

“We would also like to draw your attention to the existing licence conditions… which mean beach hut rentals are not currently permitted,” it says.

No date has been given for the review, and owners say they were given no warning of the clampdown, leading to hundreds of cancelled bookings and thousands of pounds in lost income.

Vicky Gunn, who runs Millie’s Beach Huts in Walton-on-the-naze and manages rentals, has started a petition against the move, which has attracted more than 2,000 signatures so far.

She said: “The issue is that … they’ve effectively changed their stance on beach hut rentals and come down very, very hard on specifications, when in previous years they haven’t done that – far from it – pretty much because we’ve regenerated the area on their behalf.”

Alex Porter, the council’s cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “The existing licence is for personal use only and requires hut owners to inform us before they sell their hut – and that the new owner can only apply for a new licence if the hut meets the licence requirements.”

‘They’ve changed their stance on rentals and come down very, very hard, when in previous years they haven’t’