Beach hut land sale plan is emotional, says owner

Heacham resident Tracey Mellor enjoys family time at the beach hut she bought in her mother's memory

Beach hut owners on the Norfolk coast have reacted angrily over council plans to sell the land they occupy.

There are 105 beach huts at Heacham's North Beach.

A report to West Norfolk council's cabinet says retaining the site will offer a "poor" financial return and recommends the land is sold at public auction.

Tracey Mellor bought her beach hut with some of the inheritance given to her after her mum died and she said it was "very, very emotional" when she was notified by email of the plan.

"It's a very, very personal space for us," said Ms Mellor.

"We came here the day after we buried my mum."

Beach hut owners have come together to oppose the council plans to sell the site

Currently, the council leases land on 10-year contracts for hut owners, for between April and September each year.

James Goodman-Stephens, from Gaywood in King's Lynn, said: "It was a shock to get the email from the council about the plans.

"We bought it with the intention of refurbishing it and keeping it for generations.

"These are lovely spaces where memories are made."

Heacham resident Tracey Blackwell was worried a new landowner could change the look of the huts.

"Each beach hut has its own individual character," she explained.

"We don't want it to be just a string of beach huts that are very similar. That would be very sad."

Andrew Ward said his partner bought a hut this April with no idea the land could be sold.

"If the council is looking at asset stripping and trying to raise money this is not a disused yard or a derelict building," he said.

"There is a human element to this asset which generates for them quite a bit of income."

There have been beach huts at Heacham since the Victorian era

The future of the site will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 23 September and officers have recommended the land is sold at public auction.

A new freeholder could continue to offer pitches to the beach hut owners, but would not be obliged to do so.

The council report concludes that keeping the land is risky because of issues with flooding and poor water quality.

"To retain the site will expose the council to further high-profile criticism and provide a poor and underperforming financial return when property management resources are under pressure," it says.

Heacham beach has problems with levels of bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and a holiday park comparison site awarded it with a "brown flag" earlier this year.

For the year 2024-25, the huts produced a gross income of £61,118.78.