A contemporary new beach hut is the first to have been unveiled on a popular seafront as part of a coastal town's wider regeneration plans.
The first of 72 new beach huts has been installed on Lowestoft’s South Beach as work continues on a £2.6m scheme.
With the 72 contemporary beach huts replacing the 58 concrete beach chalets that were closed in 2016 due to safety concerns, these were demolished on Jubilee Parade in Lowestoft in July 2020.
Designed by architects Chaplin Farrant, the modern new split-level beach huts will face partially south to ensure maximum sunshine throughout the day while the tips of the structures will face eastwards, reflecting Lowestoft’s position as the most easterly location in the country.
After materials for the beach huts arrived last Thursday and Friday, a section of the upper promenade was closed from Monday this week for the materials to be offloaded safely by crane.
Further deliveries will then take place each Thursday and Friday, with the closure on Mondays, for the next six weeks subject to weather conditions.
With work, including cliff stabilisation, having been in progress since September, changes were made to the scheme involving the new beach huts - which will be available for sale and hire - last month amid fears disabled people could be excluded.
After representations from the Waveney Disability Forum the beach huts will now be split across both levels so half of the 72 will be sold on both ground and upper tiers, and half let for short term private hire on both ground and upper tiers.
With the work being undertaken by Lowestoft-based contractor MS Oakes Ltd, the new beach huts are expected to be completed in May.
The new beach huts form part of wider regeneration plans for the seafront and Lowestoft, led by East Suffolk Council, including refurbishments to existing beach huts near to the Claremont Pier and the repurposing of the East Point Pavilion into a new cultural and community space, operated by First Light CIC.
For further details about buying or hiring a beach hut email lowestoft.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk
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