Beach hut owners are declaring war on their local council after being given an ultimatum over the future of the holiday retreats.
Brighton hut owners were left fuming over Labour council plans to introduce a “stealth tax” on the cabins or face them being torn down.
Under the “outrageous” tax plans being implemented by Brighton and Hove City Council, bathing box owners could pay an extra 10 per cent effective sales tax.
The ten per cent rise could see owners paying thousands of pounds to the council based on the sale price from April.
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Current plans mean owners pay an annual licence fee to own the huts totalling £503.50 every year and an ownership transfer.
Beach hut owners have launched a protest against the council, demanding them to drop their plans and accusing them of “bullying” and “coercive behaviour”.
Should they sign the council’s new licence terms by next April, owners who sell their huts would be forced to pay 10 per cent of the final sale prices or four times the annual licence fee - whichever is larger.
Beach huts typically sell for up to £35,000, meaning a cost of £3,500 under the new tax.
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Beach huts typically sell for up to £35,000, meaning a cost of £3,500 under the new tax
PA
Given the high cost involved, owners have complained that the huts would be made worthless.
Owners have been told that should they fail to sign the new terms, they will be required to remove their huts.
One local woman, Paula Ford, who has owned a beach hut for 30 years said the council should be “ashamed”.
“This is outrageous. It is nothing other than a stealth tax,” Ford said.
'This is outrageous. It is nothing other than a stealth tax,' Ford said
PA
“It's a shocking move by the council and they should be ashamed of themselves.
“The huts don't belong to the council.
“They are privately owned by us but we just site them on land owned by the council.”
As many as 459 beach huts currently line the Hove seafront with the current annual licence fee raking in £192,000 for the council.
Ford continued: “I've owned a hut for more than 30 years and over that time have invested significantly in its upkeep, including repairing and repainting it when necessary.
“I could understand the council requiring a transfer fee if there were services we were able to take advantage of but the seafront toilets are often closed or vandalised and we often have no running water.”
She added: “With unanimous opposition from beach hut owners the threat to take away their beach huts for refusing to sign the new licence is the bullying, unreasonable behaviour of the worst landlord.”
