Mudeford seaside hut homeowners look into legality of council tax rise

Beach hut homeowners say they’re wanting into the authorized foundation of plans to reclassify their huts as second properties for the needs of council tax.

More than 300 homeowners will have to pay full council tax from April on huts at Mudeford Spit in Dorset, if plans by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council are agreed.

Mudeford Sandbanks Beach Hut Association (MSBHA) stated the second house rule was being utilized to “a wooden shed with no mains connections or individual toilet facilities”.

BCP Council stated it was “looking at every nook and cranny” because it tried to deal with a £9m finances shortfall.

The 344 huts on the sandbank close to Christchurch can solely be used in a single day for a part of the 12 months however can promote for tons of of hundreds of kilos.

The 2026/27 council tax is predicted to be set in February however, primarily based on the 2025/26 cost for band A properties, payments for the huts would improve from £618 to £1,236 a 12 months.

MSBHA chair Darren Pridwell stated homeowners had already seen their annual charges “almost treble to over £5,200” because the council sought to harmonise fees alongside the coast.

He stated: “Mudeford hut owners may have a degree of sympathy for these increased costs if the level of services were at an acceptable level, but there has been next to no investment in facilities in the recent past and these are now desperately needed.

“It seems like that is all take and no give.”

Beach hut owner Gemma Paterson said her family, who have owned their hut for three generations, already had to rent it out to afford the ground rent and existing council tax payments.

“Most individuals suppose all of the seaside hut homeowners are rolling in cash, this isn’t the case, particularly for myself and my household,” she stated.

“We haven’t got operating water and we’ve not seen any enchancment within the amenities over 20 years.

“How can they justify increasing the council tax when we can only stay in them for 8 months of the year?”

The council hopes the change will elevate about £211,000.

BCP finance councillor Mike Cox stated: “It is a small amount, but we have to pull every lever we’ve got and this is just one of them.”

The proposal can be mentioned by cupboard on 14 January.