BEACH hut owners are being asked to have their say over a new council strategy – which will include allowing owners to rent out their hut for more than ten days each year.

The draft beach hut strategy for Tendring, which has been backed by Tendring Council’s cabinet, will soon go out for consultation.

It follows a review of the council’s strategy and an initial ask for views on proposed changes to the authority’s approach which was conducted during the summer.

Alex Porter, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said some of the proposals had changed following the initial consultation.

“We consulted on seven key issues around beach huts, and having now digested the feedback given by almost 2,700 responses have made a number of changes,” he said.

“We continue to be in listening mode, and I would encourage people to give us their thoughts in the next round of consultation on the draft strategy.”

There are more than 3,000 beach huts along the Essex Sunshine Coast around Tendring, the vast majority of which are sited on council-owned land.

Where this is the case owners pay a licence fee to the council for the right to place their beach hut there.

Among the changes in the new beach hut strategy are to introduce a commercial lease permitting owners to rent out their hut for more than ten days per year.

A further change made after representations made during the summer is to move to an annual lease – instead of a licence – which will give hut owners more security of tenure.

The consultation will launch later this month at tendringdc.gov.uk/consultation.