A HIKE in licence fees for a beach hut on The Point in Teignmouth has been slammed by one of the hut owners.

Seasonal beach hut owners on The Point describe as ‘a disgrace’ that their licence has been increased by 135 per cent from the previous year.

Teignbridge Council have sent out an email saying that all councillors have voted for this increase to bring them into line with other sites and adjacent local authorities.

They say that they are responding to more cuts and make the ‘huts more commercial’.

Beach hut owners are up in arms, claiming that they are been driven off the beach for commercial reasons.

One of the owners, Sean Brogan, condemned the massive increase: ‘I have owned a hut for over 30 years, which is placed on The Point each summer in May and removed in September.

‘Teignbridge do not own the huts, we do. They do not maintain them, put them up or remove them.

‘Teignbridge merely mark where the huts should go and provide a sticker for the hut showing that the fee has been paid for that year.

‘They provide no waste bins, water or lighting, just the 8’x4’ piece of sand!

‘To compare them with other beach huts or chalets in the surrounding area is completely wrong! The latter belong to Teignbridge, are painted and maintained by them.’

Mr Brogan said ‘My pension has gone up by 3.1 per cent not 135 per cent. I expected a modest increase given that inflation is 8.2 per cent but this is a disgrace and all our councillors voted for it?’

A spokesperson for the council pointed out that last year tenants were charged £140 for four months (£35 per month) and this year the charge is £330 for five months (£66 per month).

‘Tenants pay for the plot and they erect the hut themselves.

‘The only service we provide are public litter bins but the bins are kept in the adjacent car park rather directly on the beach.

‘Before reaching these figures, the team looked at what neighbouring authorities were charging and we believe that the new charges are competitive and more in line with market values.’

Sean added: ‘The beach huts are ours and have to be put down and taken up every season.

‘A lot of families have to pay for this.

‘Teignbridge would not put huts there – no insurance plus vandals!

‘No comparison with other sites.’