Beach huts finally under construction after delay

Great Yarmouth Borough Council says all of the beach huts should be built by October and ready for hire on year-long contracts

Beach huts on a Norfolk promenade are finally under construction after delays caused by the initial contractor declaring insolvency.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council had prepared the ground for 43 wooden huts on North Drive, hoping they would have been completed last year.

But after the groundwork and a utility room created for hut hirers was finished, work halted as the council sought a new supplier.

It allocated an additional £200,000 to the budget, with councillors claiming only some of the materials had been recovered by the authority.

The council says now construction has started, it is hopeful the project will be completed by October.

Graham Plant, the councillor for property and asset management, says the beach huts will help increase trade on the north promenade

Five huts will be completed in August, with another 33 built during September and the remaining four expected to be finished in October.

The total cost of the project is £683,000 and the huts will be leased annually to hirers, rather than sold or hired out daily or weekly.

Councillor Graham Plant, the portfolio holder for operational property and asset management, said: "We are delighted the beach huts are due for completion.

"They will be a real asset on our seafront and will be a valuable addition for those who want to make the most of all the beach has to offer in Great Yarmouth. We are really pleased with the outcome and how good they look.

"Constantly enhancing the offer for residents and visitors to the borough is hugely important to us and these new beach huts demonstrate our commitment to improving facilities."

Lease periods will run from April to March costing £2,260 and will be available on pro-rata rates from completion to 31 March 2025.