Efforts are being made to dismantle over £1 million in cliffside beach huts that are in danger of collapsing into the ocean.
The 43 wooden huts at Hordle Cliff, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, were left to nature by the local council when officials chose not to reinforce the coastal defenses.
The huts, valued at approximately £25,000 each, were damaged by winter storms and now either severely affected or in danger of collapsing into the ocean.
Since it’s impossible to obtain insurance for the huts, the owners have incurred financial losses.
And to make matters worse, they are being asked to pay for the work that involves using equipment to lift them up and remove them.
Although individuals possess the huts, they are required to pay the council, which acts as the landowner, a fee of approximately £800 annually.
This charge will be utilized to offset the expenses related to the removal process, and individuals who were entitled to a refund will have £300 deducted from their amount.
Property owners criticize the New Forest District Council’s ‘inactive’ strategy regarding coastal erosion for the disappearance of their cherished huts.
James and Helena Cox purchased their cabin in 2002. The local authority has classified it as ‘at risk,’ and they were only informed it would be demolished in May.
Mr. Cox, a ship designer, applied his knowledge to strengthen his shelter against the force of storms.
He stated, “My family and I are disappointed about losing it, although we weren’t surprised considering the council’s reluctance to handle risk and their overall absence of determination to discover a practical solution.”
My cabin remained undamaged and, in my opinion, wasn’t especially vulnerable. I work daily on designing structures that can withstand environmental forces, so I am fully qualified to provide this evaluation.
He mentioned that he reinforced his hut by inserting galvanized scaffold poles into the gravel at every corner and fastened them to the foundation of his hut. Additionally, he added diagonal supports to withstand wind and crashing waves.
“Since my initial hut was destroyed in the Valentine’s storm of 2014, I haven’t experienced any significant damage,” he added.
Protecting a beach cabin from powerful winds and waves that surpass the seawall is essentially an engineering challenge, and not a very complex one.
The true cause behind our licenses being taken away is that the council is cautious and lacks the determination to handle the risks.
They ought to have permitted the occupants of huts located behind the sea wall to retain their structures at their own discretion, while recommending a fundamental level of securing the huts to the shoreline.
I can handle the storms, it was always NFDC that concerned me.
Paul Major, from the New Forest Beach Hut Owners’ Association, stated: ‘Having experienced that situation, it’s a significant loss; some owners have had their huts passed down through the generations.
There’s nothing that can be done to save the huts at Hordle Cliff. The base of the cliff has been worn down by the ongoing attack of the strong seas.
Major stated that the cliff has grown even more unstable due to the heavy rainfall that has seeped into its surface and then been dried out by the intense heat.
“There’s nothing that can be done to stop the power of nature,” he stated.
There have been appeals to the council in recent years for permission to implement some form of coastal protection, and all such requests have been turned down because of the policy outlined in its Shoreline Management Plan.
Jeanie Medd and her sister Valerie Webb lived in the hut they received from their mother, Freda Doe.
It had remained within the family for a minimum of 40 years, yet suffered damage during Storm Herminia in January of this year.
She mentioned: “It served as a central place for my family, symbolizing time spent with my mother. It marks the conclusion of an era, truly.”
It suffered significant damage during Storm Herminia – everything inside was lost, the door was swept away, it was dreadful.
I was completely heartbroken. We had a narrow escape last year and managed to fix things, but we both knew it was only temporary.
We’ve become accustomed to the notion that it’s being taken away now. We have been visiting and sitting within the three remaining walls. And even after they remove it, we will still go to that part of the beach.
Medd mentioned that she was given a refund for the months following the damage, although the cost of removal was subtracted from the total amount.
“We attempted to handle it on our own, but it turned out to be impossible,” she added.
I’m aware many people were upset, but I don’t hold the council responsible. We were always aware this could happen.
The most recent removal process follows the removal of 31 huts from the same beach in June of last year.
The New Forest District Council stated that it has no legal obligation to implement coastal erosion risk management actions at any coastal location.
The area at Hordle Cliff is not protected, and any actions taken would merely delay, rather than prevent, the erosion, at a cost of approximately £4 million.
The projected expenses for the broader shoreline between Hordle Cliff and Milford-on-Sea are approximately £22 million.
The council also mentioned that Storm Herminia in January of this year was thought to be the most powerful to affect the UK in at least a decade, leading to significant erosion and instability in cliffs.
Geoffrey Blunden, the portfolio holder for environment and sustainability at New Forest District Council, stated: ‘We feel deep empathy for those affected by the challenges in this difficult coastal region and have been actively working with hut owners and the New Forest Beach Hut Owners Association.’
Coastal erosion and shifting cliffs due to winter storms have harmed certain beach huts, with others at the eastern part of Hordle Cliff now facing increased vulnerability to upcoming storms.
We recommend that anyone thinking about purchasing a beach hut or another property near or along the coastline carefully evaluate the potential risks before making a purchase. Individuals are encouraged to reach out to our coastal team to gain a better understanding of these risks.
