Council backs plans to keep huts on seafront

10:10am Friday 18th July 2008

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PEOPLE owning or renting huts on the Cart Road have been reassured they will not be charged more to keep their huts on the seafront all year round - for now at least.

Lyme Regis Town Council wants the huts to remain on the seafront instead of moving them to the Woodmead Road car park every winter.

The council is applying for planning permission for this extension, as well as an application for 10 more huts.

Town clerk Mike Lewis said at last week's council meeting that he wrote to all private hut owners to gauge their response. "There seems to be a majority in favour," he said.

Mr Lewis said one owner asked about a site licence fee, which the council has yet to discuss.

But despite the extended time on the seafront, the authority has reassured hut owners it is not intent on rapidly increasing the fee'. Coun Owen Lovell said: "We are certainly not doing it with any view at the moment to increasing the fee."

In fact, Coun Stan Williams believed there was more expense involved in moving them, which also wastes council time.

He said there would also be a loss of car parking revenue because the huts would take up spaces and it could stop people coming into Lyme.

"There is quite a big expense in not leaving them on the front," he said.

The council can now proceed with the plans and talk to planners, eventually submitting a planning application.

Coun Williams said it was a shame they had not moved quicker. "I would like to have seen these beach huts purchased," he said. "It looks like the speed we are operating we are going to lose this summer.

"I really think it would be an asset to this town. They look super where they are and environmentally it would benefit the town to have them there all year round."