Iconic beach huts which have fallen into a ‘poor state of repair’ could be given a new lease of life – at a cost of up to £150k.

Proposals are set to go before Lyme Regis Town Council’s town management and highways committee which, if given the go-ahead, could see the replacement of Cart Road’s beach huts.

A report due to be discussed by councillors calls for the replacement of 34 huts and provides two options; the first being to replace the huts with new, wooden ones at a cost of up to £2,800 per hut, or, to replace the huts with composite ‘maintenance-free’ material at a cost of £4,400 per hut with a 10-year guarantee.

Councillors will also decide whether to replace all of the huts at once in the autumn/winter season of 2018-19, or replace the huts over a three-year period in autumn/winter seasons only.

They will also consider how to bring the 31 privately-owned huts into line with any new design.

The report states: ‘The Cart Road beach huts are in a poor state of repair and are the iconic image of any visit to Lyme Regis. They play a larger part in the image of the town than is the sum of their parts. The seasonal battering by the elements have left them in such a state that, more recently, they have not been able to be removed from site for annual maintenance for fear of further damage. The time has come to consider replacing the huts.’

The report also claims the ‘burden’ on the council’s maintenance team of two people to repair and service 34 huts is ‘significant’ and ‘affects their ability to efficiently complete other tasks.’

Currently, all huts are closed for two weeks each year to allow maintenance to take place, with some closed for an additional four weeks so that extra work can be carried out which, the report states, means a loss of income for the council as bookings cannot be taken in that time.

Based on old costings, the council has a budget of £15,000 a year over three years for beach hut replacement. Based on new quotes, the project could costs up to £149,600 and so will require a tender process.

The committee’s recommendations will be discussed further at a meeting of the full council on May 9.