Life’s a beach – or is it?

After another bout of graffiti damage, Dee Williams visits the beach huts at West of Haven, St. Leonards.

Someone who calls themselves ‘TYKE’ wanted everyone to know their name, particularly those who passed the beach huts on the train. So out came the rattle cans and just like that, 35 huts were vandalised. Unfortunately, this recent attack is not the first.

The 2.7.23 AGM minutes from the West of Haven Beach Users Association notes that their Red Badge Scheme Monitors detected graffiti and vandalism from local youngsters last Easter.

“Graham reported that Dick Kempson and Judy and Gordon Russell were assisting with walking the site. There was a severe bout of vandalism and breakage around Easter. Graham spoke to some youngsters found lighting a fire in a broken in hut and after that this episode stopped. Graffiti on huts opposite the train sheds, visible to the train line, has also occurred again.
Minutes from West of Haven Beach Hut Users Association

The site is owned by Hastings Borough Council who provided the following response.

A council spokesperson said, “The council was saddened to see that 35 of the West of Haven beach huts have been graffitied. Where huts are privately owned, it is the responsibility of the owners to have any graffiti removed. The hut owners and users association for the site are aware of the damage and have been in contact with our Coastal Maintenance team.  If anyone knows who has graffitied these huts, they can phone Sussex Police on 101 or contact them online via the Sussex Police website.”

In relation to repeated damage to the public toilets at West of Haven, the council gave the following comment.

“A council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately due to ongoing acts of vandalism, some of our toilets are, at times, temporarily closed so repairs can take place. We have had several reports of vandalism to these toilets. They are repaired as quickly as possible when we are told about damage. If anyone spots any issues with our facilities, they can easily report this directly to us via this link on the HBC website.”

The council maintain the public toilets, (which are in danger of being permanently closed should this cost become onerous), but the unfortunate beach hut owners are responsible for the repeated removal of graffiti from their huts.

The statement that the huts are ‘private’ allows HBC to absolve responsibility for them, yet through the Hut Site Licence the council maintain significant control as demonstrated below:

2.( i. ) [Licensee must] Not erect any other building or other erection whatsoever on the Site nor make any alteration or addition to the Hut.

4.       The Council or its duly authorised Officers shall be permitted to enter the Hut at all times for any purpose whatsoever.

Last year there was a 25% hike in the licence fee, well above inflation, but hut owners are unable to mitigate against rising costs as the Hut Licence currently forbids sub-letting.

The council beach huts are let on a weekly basis, which puts the cost too high for many families who may prefer to rent for the day, making a local market for the private beach hut owners.

 

According to HBC, the decision not to sub-let was made by the beach hut owners themselves in 2019.

“In 2019 site users were consulted on the potential for licences being amended to allow subletting, 97% of users were against this option being introduced, with security & safety, site misuse, insurance & legal requirements, and commercialisation implications all identified as key issues.”

Perhaps it is time to rethink this proposal given that there are already site misuse events occurring and it is up to the owners to pay for their own security measures and clean-up costs.

The more the huts are utilised, the less they look abandoned.

Returning to the 2.7.23 AGM minutes, one of the hut owners voiced concern with regard to the increased costs.

AOB. – Mark Whitlock complained about the continuing fee rises which have been unrelated to inflation, but made as a ‘Cash Cow’.

 

KB on behalf of the Council admitted that HBC faces bankruptcy and must raise money where they can.

KB was presumably Kevin Boorman from HBC who was present at the meeting.

From the beach huts alone HBC clears £126,000 per annum after VAT plus fees paid by the fishermen for winches, boats and boxes.

It is clear that a significant sum of money is being redirected from the beach hut site to pay for other council services. Increased patrols, particularly at night would deter graffiti and vandalism as shown by the intervention of the Red Badge Monitors.

As yet another beach hut goes up for sale and beach hut owners await the council license fee bill due in November, is it time to reconsider the use of this valuable asset?  Sub-letting would bring a new vigour to the West of Haven site which has been rather neglected this summer season and share the joy of al-fresco beach life at its finest on those rare summer days. It would also mitigate against rising fees, allowing owners to afford to keep their huts rather than sell up.

And what of TYKE who so wanted us all to know their name?

 

Here is the Merriam-Webster

Dictionary definition. Let us say no more.

 

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