Major investment for beach huts along the Lincolnshire coast

Major investment has been promised for beach huts along the Lincolnshire coast.
View of beach huts at Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.View of beach huts at Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.
View of beach huts at Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.

East Lindsey District Council’s Executive Board have today (Wednesday) agreed a programme of refurbishment and redevelopment.

Prior to the 2017 season, the council will undertake £110,000 of improvement works to the Beach Huts in Mablethorpe - £50,000 of which is funded from the Coastal Revival Fund following a successful bid by Mablethorpe CIC. Nine additional huts will be built at Queen’s Park to fill the existing empty plots and these will be made available for sale leasehold.

At Sutton on Sea, the Executive Board has agreed to grant a five year lease to the Residents’ Association for Hut numbers 2 to 15 after their successful running of the huts in 2016.

The Executive Board will also recommend to Full Council the investment of £205,000 of capital funds to redevelop Huts 16 to 29 at Sutton on Sea. The funding, if approved by council, would be made available once the Residents’ Association attracts match-funding for the redevelopment of the huts they are taking responsibility for, enabling a wider regeneration programme to take place.

Portfolio Holder for coastal regeneration Coun Steve Kirk said: “The traditional beach hut is an important part of the seaside experience on the Lincolnshire coast and I’m pleased that the Executive Board has agreed to support a programme of significant investment in time for the 2017 season.

“I’m also pleased that the board has agreed to grant a five-year lease to the Sutton on Sea Residents’ Association which has done a tremendous job in managing the huts in Sutton on Sea this season.”

Chairman of the Residents’ Association Adrian Benjamin said: “Volunteers from Sutton on Sea Residents’ Association are extremely heartened at the acknowledgment by ELDC of their hard work in maintaining, marketing and letting out the huts entrusted to the association over this last summer.

“This acknowledgment has echoed the enormous support and gratitude the volunteers have received from our community, from our local businesses and from a huge number of visitors to our village. Among these visitors there are those who have been using our huts over several generations and the publicity generated by our association has attracted new visitors to our village from all over Lincolnshire and beyond.

“Our association now looks forward to responding to the trust placed in it by working alongside ELDC and other statutory bodies and voluntary groups in seeking to generate funds that will allow for the rebuilding of all the huts along traditional lines and at the same time as creating real improvements for the promenade and colonnade upon which they stand and for the pleasure gardens and play areas upon which they look down.”