422-year wait for beach hut at Tinside

The 528 city residents on the waiting list for one of the council's 21 brightly coloured beach huts overlooking Plymouth Sound at Tinside are facing a wait of up to 422 years to take possession of their own little waterfront haven, according to an analysis of official council figures.

 

New figures obtained by the local Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act show that just 10 people took possession of one of the red, yellow and green beach huts over the past eight years. At that rate, it will take over four centuries to clear the waiting list.

 

Despite the mammoth list and the fact that four of the 21 beach huts have sat vacant for up to two years awaiting repairs, no beach hut at Tinside has been let to anyone for more than a year.

 

Commenting, Chair of Plymouth Liberal Democrats Stuart Bonar said:

 

"The beach huts at Tinside are perfect for sea swimmers and other locals who want their own little place with easy access to the beach there and a fantastic view out to sea. They must have offered a great vantage point for last month's British Firework Championships.

 

“I am on the waiting list for one, about halfway down I think, so I guess I’ll only have to wait about two centuries!

 

"Given this massive unmet demand for a beach hut, the councillors running our city should show a little more imagination when it comes to making the most of our world-class waterfront - and enabling local people to enjoy it.

 

"Sadly, the council has confirmed to me that there are no plans for more beach huts. They should rethink that. There is surely space along the Hoe's cliffs for more of them. The council charges a hefty £879 annual rent on Tinside beach huts so there is lots of potential to bring in new income for years to come, which could go towards subsidising council services for everyone."

 

In addition to the beach huts at Tinside, the council has five more at Eastern Kings, near Devil's Point, which have a waiting list of 215 people. With just five of those let out over the past eight years, residents waiting for a beach hut there also face a wait measured in centuries.

 

The expected waits are so bad that the council closed the waiting list at the end of 2021. This followed a surge of 395 new signups for Tinside and 159 for Eastern Kings over 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic.