Beach hut renters in BCP region hit by rising costs

Representatives from beach hut associations in the BCP Council area have revealed beach hut fee rises as high as 26 per cent despite lobbying for smaller rates amid cost-of-living struggles.

As reported, BCP Council’s cabinet approved a scheme in December last year for beach hut fees to be harmonised across eight different price bands within five years, and said the “fair and reasonable” increase would mean more funds would be available for seafront maintenance.

Critics of the scheme, however, fear local people will be forced to forego their huts and out-of-towners will snap up the facilities for sub-letting uses.

For beach huts in Bournemouth this year, the ground rent has risen by 16 per cent. In Poole, meanwhile, prices for an average wooden hut have hiked from £2,674 to £3,820. These prices will increase annually for a further four years.

Bournemouth Beach Hut Association chair Ann Gerrard told the Echo: “We worked very hard on this but all the suggestions put forward were totally swept to one side. We are not happy.

• Read more: Anti-abortion group protest outside clinic in Bournemouth

“We put forward ideas to cap the increase at ten per cent this year, mainly because of cost-of-living issues. There’s going to be more sub-letting now because people can’t afford them, it’s going to be a very uncomfortable process.

“People that do have huts have very little sympathy as people seem to think we’re in this exclusive bracket – we’re not.”

These concerns were seconded by Bob Lister, chair of the Poole Beach Hut Association, who said: “There’s 1,194 council-owned huts in Poole, so we are being hit harder in terms of the number of tenants that are affected.

“The council use the word harmonisation to describe this scheme, but there’s no real harmonisation – they’re just using us as cash cows.

• Read more: BCP Council's seaside environmental hub is finally open

“Out-of-towners will start buying them up and then charge extortionate letting amounts, which will destroy the community.

“Many of our members are pensioners on fixed incomes and they won’t be able to afford these increases. These are people who can’t afford to go abroad and the beach hut is their holiday – what the council is doing is penalising them.”

Group in Branksome beach protesting the price rises in January (Image: Bob Lister)

A BCP Council spokesperson said: “In line with our work to harmonise all council services, these plans will see a simple pricing system put in place across the region and will give greater choice for residents wishing to access a beach hut in the future.

“They also ensure we only allow residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to join waiting lists to hire our beach huts – a rule which previously did not exist.

“Until now there has been a substantial difference in beach hut pricing across BCP which needs addressing to ensure fairness across the three towns, but we recognise these plans need to be introduced over time to reduce that immediate impact and give people the opportunity to plan ahead.

“Our beach huts have had under investment for a number of years, and these plans will mean around £4.4million of much needed investment goes into our beach huts and their services. This will also include the investment and upgrade of public toilet facilities along the seafront.”