Founded in 1990, the Association aims to represent, support and safeguard the interests of its members who own beach huts at Barton-on-Sea, Calshot, Hordle Cliff or Milford-on-Sea. We hope you will find information of use and interest in these pages, whether you are a general enquirer or looking for information in our members’ only section.
The Association’s purpose, set out in its constitution, is to advise, represent, and liaise with New Forest District Council and other authorities on behalf of its members across all matters relating to the ownership of beach huts. Membership is by annual subscription and there are currently over 400 huts whose owners are members. The Association is headed up by a committee of currently 7, though 1 additional member is being sought. Although not a Registered Charity, the Association makes donations to charitable organisations from time to time.
NFDC has arranged for Kestrel Security to carry out random evening security patrols at both Hordle Cliff and Barton on Sea from early in July until early September.
This does not mean they will be at these locations continuously, just that a patrol will regularly visit both sites. The randomness of patrols is intended to catch-out anyone intent on crime or anti-social behaviour and minimize the possibility of them noticing a pattern in security presence. Kestrel have been asked to carry out both clifftop and beach patrols and report any incidents they observe to the Police and to NFDC.
Let’s hope this will be an effective deterrent for any potential anti-social behaviour and vandalism to huts.
NFDC wishes hut owners an enjoyable summer.
On 5th June 2022, lots of Barton huts were opened up for parties to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of our Queen Elizabeth II
At Calshot, Her Majesty did a beach walkabout on 5th June, offering unforgettable photo opportunities for hut owners...
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NFBHOA Has been advised by Steve Cook, NFDC's Service Manager, Coastal of Drop-in events to find out more on Christchurch Bay coastal strategy, about which Peter Ferguson of NFDC spoke at our recent AGM.
BCP Council and New Forest District Council are inviting local people and coastal businesses to find out more about the development of a new Christchurch Bay coastal strategy. The coastal strategy will guide how the risks of coastal flooding and erosion may be sustainably managed for the next 100 years in Christchurch Bay, from Hengistbury Head Long Groyne to Hurst Spit, encompassing Christchurch Harbour.
The strategy is being produced jointly by both councils, working together with the Environment Agency. As well as informing how coastal communities may be protected, it will also consider the effects of predicted climate change, including sea level rise and increased levels of storminess.
The second phase of public engagement events includes two face-to-face drop-in sessions, one on-line event hosted by Dorset Coast Forum, and an on-line survey.
1. Monday 6 June 2022, Christchurch Library Octagon Space 10am-6pm
2. Thursday 9 June 2022, Milford-on-Sea Village Community Centre, 10am-4pm
On-line Event: Tues 14 June 2022, public on-line event (hosted by Dorset Coast Forum) 7:00pm-8:15pm. Free tickets available at Eventbrite: Order Tickets Here-332761617957
On-line Survey: Monday 23 May to Sunday 26 June 2022, Have your Say on-line survey: HERE
Towards the end of this year, further feedback will be invited on all the potential options which can realistically be delivered. This will help inform the development of a short list of options which will be rigorously evaluated. Our draft preferred short-listed options will then be consulted on next year. It is anticipated the final strategy will be adopted in early 2024.
Councillor Mark Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Cleansing and Waste at BCP Council, said: “In this second phase of the strategy’s development, we are highlighting the scenario to explain: What happens if we don’t defend our coast? Our work to date has helped us establish this baseline which represents a hypothetical situation where we abandon our existing defences and don’t prepare for climate change. The process is not designed to alarm people, it enables us to evidence and justify what options there are to ‘do something’ to address coastal flooding and erosion risk. We are inviting people to come and talk with us about these findings at our drop-in events, or complete our on-line survey, to tell us if there is anything else we should consider at this stage.”
Councillor Steve Davies, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Coastal Services at New Forest District Council, added: “Once we have listened to feedback we will work with stakeholders again to identify a long list of options to ‘do something’ and we’ll assess them to understand where, when and broadly what type of works are needed and what this may cost. Local authorities do not have a statutory duty to undertake coast protection work, but we can use permissive powers to protect our coastline and work with communities to help them adapt to future coastal change. Crucially, the final adopted Strategy will enable us to bid for government funding to deliver viable and realistic coast protection schemes. Although there is no guarantee we’d receive 100% funding for these, it’ll help us to understand the required level of partnership funding that may be required to deliver a scheme.”
The Strategy area – The image below shows the Christchurch Bay and Harbour Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy area. The markers in red show the strategy extents from Hengistbury Head Long Groyne to Hurst Spit Rock revetment, encompassing Christchurch Harbour up to the tidal extents of Tuckton Bridge on the River Stour and Knapp Mill on the River Avon.
About Hurst Spit – The Christchurch Bay & Harbour Strategy and the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy are two important flood and coastal erosion risk management projects being delivered along the south coast of England. Although both strategies are defined by geographical boundaries, coastal dynamics don’t work this way! The two strategies are linked by Hurst Spit, an important feature and landmark of the area, which by working collaboratively together, will be integrated into both strategies, ensuring that it is fully considered by both project teams.
Strategy contacts:
Alan Frampton, Strategy & Policy Manager, BCP Council
Peter Ferguson, Senior Engineer, New Forest District Council
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The Association's 2022 Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at Lyndhurst Community Centre. A full report of the proceedings, to be approved at the next AGM, is available in the Members Only section by clicking on: AGM Minutes (current and archive).
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Hordle Cliff suffered worst of the four beaches in the NFDC area from storms Eunice and Franklin and we have now received three update concerning Hordle from Steve Cook, New Forest District Council's Service Manager, Coastal:
I’m pleased to say that the steps at the eastern end have now been opened-up and access can be gained to those huts that sit behind the seawall as well as those on the upper level, from hut 158 to hut 177. We are though, continuing to see cliff movement in the upper level between hut 137 and hut 153 and this section needs to remain closed. We are continuing to monitor and assess this area for ongoing movement, but for now unfortunately, access cannot be allowed to this section.
We are continuing to liaise with individual owners who require further information or who have huts that have been affected by the beach erosion. But should you have any questions then please direct them to coastal.team@nfdc.gov.uk although the team is busy, we will try to get back to you as soon as we can.
I’m writing to you to provide a further update with regard to the beach huts located behind the seawall, this follows my Update 1 of 22nd February.
Firstly I would like to thank you for your patience while we have been dealing with the numerous issues at Hordle Cliff following storms Eunice and Franklin. Unfortunately, we are still continuing to see the further impacts at the site with cliff instability and further beach losses to the west of where your beach huts are located.
I’m pleased to say though, that you can now plan to have the necessary works undertaken to your beach hut to make it usable again. Particularly those that have been moved out of alignment and just need some minor work. For some of you, whose huts suffered more substantial damage, you will need to consider if you will be repairing or replacing your beach hut. If this is the case I would remind you of the need to determine if planning permission is required, you can do this by making contact with the duty planning officer using the following details:-
www.newforest.gov.uk/article/2001/Duty-planner-service or call 023 8028 5345.
We will be looking to fully open up access at this eastern end of Hordle Cliff from next week to enable you more easily access your beach hut. If possible, I would like to request that you advise the coastal team at coastal.team@nfdc.gov.uk of your intentions for repairing your beach hut. Particularly if you are planning to undertake this yourself or make use of contractor.
Once again thank you for bearing with us during this time, with a changing situation. Should you have any questions then please do contact the Coastal Team using the email address above.
I'm writing you to provide an update on the devastating impact of storms Eunice and Franklin on Hordle Cliff and the beach huts. As I'm sure you can understand this has been a challenging few days for us in trying to inspect and assess the impact across our coastline, not helped in any way with the prolonged unsettled weather.
Following initial inspections on Friday afternoon (18/2/22) and Saturday morning the decision was taken to close access to Hordle cliff, on the basis of there being a number of huts in an unstable condition as well as a report of some cracking in the upper footpath area. Without knowing the full extent of damage and to provide safety to hut owners, residents and visitors the site was closed.
We are still in the position of undertaking further detailed inspections in trying to identify damaged beach huts, which is proving to be even more difficult when a number of huts do not have a number on them. This work will still continue for a while and once we have a clearer picture we will be in a position to make contact on an individual basis with owners who have had huts damaged.
What I can update you on is that we plan, on the 23rd February, to open access again to the western side of Hordle Cliff. We do though need to retain the closure for the eastern end, the reason for this being that:
* There has been significant beach erosion
* A number of huts are in damaged and unstable condition
* Some cracking has been identified in the upper footpath along the top row of huts
* There has been some ground movement within the slope between the upper and lower beach huts
For access purposes this means that on the upper level there will no access to any beach huts from hut number 136 through to the eastern end at hut number 177 and for the lower level no access to beach huts from hut number 294 through to the eastern end to hut number 235. It is of course difficult to fully close a beach, but I would ask that you do not access any of these areas.
Please bear with us in the Coastal Team while we work through assessing the impacts and actions that can be taken. Should you however, wish to ask any questions then please do so by emailing us at coastal.team@nfdc.gov.uk
On Friday 10 December, your NFBHOA committee met Judith Lacey and Steve Cook of NFDC Coastal team to discuss a number of items of interest and concern to beach hut owners. Amongst the items on the agenda was the annual Site Licence Fee, and New Forest District Council’s proposals for increases for 2022-2023.
Steve Cook indicated that to keep pace with increases in costs which NFDC is seeing, it was proposed to increase the Site Licence Fee by 12%. NFBHOA committee members argued that 12% is significantly above the current rate of inflation and that the increase should be reduced. Steve Cook agreed to discuss the increase with his department head and has since advised that the proposed increase has been reduced to 10% (or more precisely 9.7% allowing for the rounding down numbers to whole numbers of pounds).
The picture on site licence fees is complicated by value added tax which is levied by HM Revenue and Customs on the fees. The normal rate of VAT in the UK is now, and has been over preceding years, set at 20%. However, for 2021-2022 due to the Covid pandemic, HMRC allowed a reduction to 5% in the VAT charged on payments for council services. While some councils did not pass on this reduction to the users of their services, NFDC was one which did indeed pass it on in full.
For the 2022-2023 financial year, your NFBHOA committee was anticipating that the VAT rate would revert to 20% but were pleased to hear from Steve Cook that for the site licence fee invoices to be issued to hut owners in March 2022, a VAT rate of 12.5% will be applied.
The net result of these two changes, 10% (or more precisely 9.7%) increase in site licence fee and VAT at 12.5%, is that hut owners have seen on the invoice they receive in March 2022 an increase in the charge including VAT totalling 17.5% when compared with the invoice for 2021-2022.
The NFDC representatives also advised that all huts on NFDC land have been re-measured over the past weeks. When site licence fee invoices were issued in March 2022, hut owners were advised to check that their hut remains in the correct charging band.
Two new size bands have also been added as some huts have been seen to be well above the sizes for the largest charging band in the 2021-2022 scheme.
The licence transfer fee, payable to NFDC on the sale of a hut, is set to remain at £400 ex VAT. From 1 April 2022, the VAT rate applicable to this fee reverted to 20%, resulting in a charge of £480 including VAT.
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We take crime very seriously and have written to both the local police and MP in relation to reporting and reducing crime. This is an ongoing matter and we will work with all members. Advice on this can be found at: https://www.newforestbeachhuts.com/#security.
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As a reminder, a Beach Hut Sales option is included on our website. This is a free facility which members can use. Please visit https://www.newforestbeachhuts.com/hut-sales for more information.
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The Association's audited Income and Expenditure Accounts for 2021 are available for Members to view in the Members Only section, by clicking on AGM minutes (current and archive).
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The position of Chair of the Association remains vacant, so a new Chair is again sought.
If you are interested in being the Chair, please contact Jan Wise for further details: hon.secretary@newforestbeachhuts.com
Prospective nominees will need to be members of the Association.
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If you see anti-social behaviour or criminal activity in progress, do not intervene, but call 999.
Report any suspicious behaviour you see, or damage to your hut which you believe may have been caused by criminal activity, to the police on 101.
Be ready to give the postcode for the incident. For Barton on Sea BH25 7DU, Calshot SO45 1BR, Hordle Cliff SO41 0UX and Milford SO41 0PY.
Looking around your neighbours’ huts is invaluable. Please report any damage found to your NFBHOA beach rep. For contact, see: https://www.newforestbeachhuts.com/#contactus
or phone NFDC on 02380 285000, email: coastal.team@nfdc.gov.uk
Outside normal office hours call NFDC’s emergency service on 023 8028 5250. In the unlikely event you are unable to contact NFDC on this number, you can call an emergency mobile number: 07771 259098.
https://www.newforest.gov.uk/article/1162/Contact-us
Advice for Beach Hut Owners - Autumn and Winter
Autumn / winter is an interesting time at the beach, but there are fewer people about to look out for problems with huts and weather may cause damage too. So, the first step to keep your hut safe and secure is to make sure that it is in good condition and that it is properly locked-up. If repair work is needed, a list of contractors can be found by visiting our Members Only page (password required) and clicking the link to Beach Hut Repair / Maintenance Contractors:
https://www.newforestbeachhuts.com/members-only/
If you are closing your hut for the winter, please be sure to remove any items of value and all gas bottles.
Under the licence issued to owners by New Forest District Council for beach huts on our 4 beaches, no renting of huts is permitted under any circumstances.
Responsible dog owners and their dogs are welcome on our beaches, but it is advisable to keep dogs on long leads. Please clean up after your dog has fouled.
Reports have been received of white lumps of congealed palm oil on New Forest beaches. Dog owners are warned that this material causes severe illness if ingested by their pets. If you see this material on a beach, please advise NFDC's Customer Services by phoning 023 8028 5000 or by email at: customer.services@nfdc.gov.uk
