Poole plans 178 beach huts to cut 20-year waiting list

People are waiting up to 20 years to secure their dream beach hut on the Poole seafront

Almost 200 new beach huts are planned for Poole's seafront to help cut a 20-year waiting list of more than 1,300 people.

Poole borough council's website crashed due to a surge of enquiries when the waiting list reopened last year.

A spokeswoman said it was "like trying to get Glastonbury tickets".

The council has approved the £3.6m plans for 178 new huts, repairs to 131 existing huts and a cafe for Canford Cliffs West.

It is estimated the new beach huts will generate £275,000 a year additional income for the council.

Once the plan has been approved, and pending consultation, the 178 huts could be completed by July 2017.

At present, prospective beach hut tenants anywhere along Poole's coastline face a minimum wait of 12 years - with an estimated 20-year wait for beach huts in Sandbanks.

Where the huts will go

• Sandbanks - Six new huts to be built as second storey above existing units

• Flaghead Chine - 12 new huts

• Canford Cliffs West - 107 new huts built on existing blocks

• Canford Cliffs East - 45 new huts built on existing blocks

• Branksome West - Four new huts

• Branksome Dene - Four new huts

The huts will be built and refurbished out of season to minimise disruption to existing tenants.

In the past year Poole council has already built 70 new additional huts along the beach between Sandbanks and Branksome Dene.