Title: Souped-up seashore huts.
Age: Whereas the earliest examples had been transformed fisher’s huts or outdated bathing machines, the primary purpose-built seashore hut was erected in Bournemouth in 1909. (It obtained a blue plaque in 2011.)
Look: Tiny seafront homes, however blingy.
How would you go about making a seashore hut blingy? By bettering the hut by way of extravagant or extreme renovation, clearly.
Like what? A golden rest room? Oh no. Bogs aren’t permitted.
What then? An illuminated dancefloor? Some synthetic grass on the balcony, maybe, or some brightly painted decking.
Then what? When you’ve souped it up, you may lease it out – fancy huts on the Essex coast, for instance, are supplied for rent by the day for events.
And the council is OK with that? No. Extending the huts past strict specs is just not allowed, and renting them out is banned.
So these individuals are residing off the spoils of their illegally rented sheds?They won't be getting wealthy, however they’re doing all proper: seashore huts in Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex and Southwold in Suffolk usually declare rental charges of between £50 and £100 a day, and alter palms for tens of hundreds of kilos.
What's the council doing about it? Up till now, not a lot. Seaside-hut rent web sites have sprung up – alongside administration, cleansing and catering providers – providing homeowners the possibility to money in.
I sense a crackdown is coming. You might be right. Tendring district council, which points annual licences for 3,000 hut websites in Essex, just lately contacted non-public homeowners.
A sternly worded letter? Precisely. It issues “seashore hut variations which fall exterior of the present specification” and reminds homeowners that when their huts come to be offered, the council can deny the brand new proprietor a licence till any non-compliant modifications are rectified.
You imply the hut must be unmodified? Fairly presumably. The letter provides that below the principles renting is just not permitted. “The prevailing licence is for private use solely,” mentioned a council member.
And what do the hut sellers – sorry, homeowners – say to that? Some have gotten up a petition towards the crackdown, insisting that the council has modified its stance.
That means it’s stopped turning a blind eye. However different homeowners complain of noise and rowdy behaviour at employed huts. “It could possibly change into tiresome should you face this repeatedly as a result of your seashore hut is shut to 1 that's steadily let loose on this manner,” mentioned the Brightlingsea Seaside Hut Affiliation’s spring e-newsletter.
Do say: “Guidelines are guidelines.”
Don’t say: “Drinks on the bogus garden.”
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