Beach huts and chalets

Beach huts at Felixstowe

The council has over 900 sites for private beach huts in Felixstowe and these are in high demand. There may be opportunity to purchase a new hut and licence a site in the future (contact our asset management team to register your interest) but second-hand huts can be purchased privately throughout the year and an application for a new licence made by the new owner. 

Chalets Felixstowe (Annual licence)

There are 77 chalets at Cliff House and Bath Tap in Felixstowe, which are ideal for a base during the day. They are let on a 12 month licence, however, the waiting list is very long and it can take several years to reach the top. Please contact us if you would like to be added to the list.

Seashore Village Felixstowe

New traditional timber beach huts are available for sale at Seashore Village Felixstowe (long-lease basis). Enquiries to SeashoreVillage@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

New furnished and heated chalet by the sea, designed with accessibility in mind. Enquiries to SeashoreVillage@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

Beach huts at Felixstowe and Sizewell

There are 12 council-owned beach huts on the beach at Sizewell but these are in very high demand and the waiting list is very long. However, if you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Felixstowe.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

Licence fees for beach hut sites

The site licences in Felixstowe and Sizewell operate on a two-tier fee system, plus any oversize supplements. This is determined on whether a site is front row (known as a Premier Site) or non front row (defined as a Standard Site). The definition of Premier is defined as having no other beach hut in the direct line of sign towards the sea perpendicular to the front elevation of the beach hut (please note all huts at Sizewell are classed as premier). The basic site fees and charges for 2024/2025 may be viewed on page 53 of our fees and charges

Oversized huts

Many huts in Felixstowe are not of standard size, so please check this carefully before you make a purchase. A Standard Size hut is 2.13m wide by 2.43m deep. There is an additional fee added to the basic fee if the hut is larger than this standard size.

The following clause is included in all beach hut licences:

‘If a new or replacement hut is placed on the Site, or if repairs or alterations are made to an existing standard sized hut, the Licensee shall ensure that the Hut does not exceed the standard size’

Hut measurements are quoted on the licence and are taken from information provided by existing licence holders and our own measurements. If you feel these are not correct, please provide your name, a contact number or email, hut number and location and what you think the width and depth measurements are. An officer will check these measurements and contact you. 

The Council will use a common sense approach to measuring the hut and will reserve the right to have a tolerance of +/- 2cm. The sizes will form the basis for calculating your licence fee each year. Any agreed changes to the sizes will be updated on our system and reflected in the next annual invoice. No refunds will be given for changes to hut sizes in the course of the year.

For details of the terms and conditions within the licenses for beach huts at Felixstowe and Sizewell please email Felixstowe.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

A three-year licence has been issued from the 1 April 2024 until the 31 March 2027. If a new licence is issued after the 1 April 2024, the end period will still be 31 March 2027.

An invoice for the fee is issued annually in February/March each year for payment by the 1 April.

Administration fee for a new licence application in Felixstowe and Sizewell

The Council charges an administration fee of £727.65 (Including VAT) for issuing a new licence when a hut changes hands. This work reflects full recovery of the costs of the licence administration process. This fee is payable by the new owner and will be invoiced once the new licence has been raised.  

There is a discounted administration fee for issuing a new licence when a beach hut is transferred to an immediate family member rather than being sold. This may also apply when a hut is bequeathed. To apply for a discount, a statement will be required to be signed by both the previous (if applicable) and new hut owners stating that the hut ownership has been transferred to an immediate family member. This is included in the new licence form.

An immediate family member in this case is classed as a spouse, civil partner, parents and grandparents, children and grand children, brothers and sisters, mother in law and father in law, brothers in law and sisters in law, daughters in law and sons in law. Adopted, half, and step members are also included. Please note that action will be taken against any licence holder found to have acted fraudulently in applying for a discounted administration fee. This may lead to a delay in issuing a licence, or licence being revoked if already granted and the hut requested to be removed from the site.

Beach huts at Southwold

The beach huts at Southwold are privately owned and positioned on sites leased from the Council. Please note there are currently no vacant sites available.

Some beach hut owners do provide short term lettings of their huts. For further information please contact the Southwold Beach Hut Owners Association.

Discount may apply to beach hut site tenants who are a local resident or upon being a member of the Southwold Beach Hut Owners Association. Verification processes for discounts apply.

Existing tenant issues, and any other enquiries, can be directed to: Southwold.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk. 

Beach huts at Pakefield (either site-only or with built timber huts)

The current stock of sites/huts are occupied under licence and there is a waiting list should any sites/huts become available. Due to the current length of the waiting list, unfortunately we are unable to register any new interest in a site/hut in this location at this time.

Beach hut and chalet charges 

The council makes an annual charge for beach hut sites and chalets. These are set out in our Fees and charges list.

In addition to these charges, National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) apply and are charged to each licensee separately. National Non Domestic Rates (NNDR or Business Rates) are a charge on properties which are not used for domestic purposes such as shops, factories, offices, beach huts, moorings etc. New licence holders will be issued a bill which will be pro-rata from the date of hut purchase until 31 March and then annually. 

You can claim Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) on the NNDR charge, provided that you do not already claim it on a small business or are ineligible for some other reason. The current rate of relief is 100%, but please note that this could change in the future

You should receive a form to apply for SBRR with your bill. If it is not enclosed please contact Anglia Revenues Partnership.

There are also additional costs for moving huts each year, if they are located on the beach itself.

To hire a beach wheelchair in Lowestoft, Southwold or Felixstowe

East Suffolk Council have Beach Wheelchairs available for hire all year round. Come and feel the sand and get close to the waves. Beach wheelchair hire is available in Lowestoft, Southwold and Felixstowe.

There is no charge for hire. Booking in advance required and conditions of use apply. Seasonal hire available in Southwold and Felixstowe. All year round hire is available in Lowestoft.

Please direct all enquires to beach.wheelchairs@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

Complaints, queries and issues

If you have a question or issue that relates directly to the beach hut service please contact Asset Management in the first instance.

This might include questions around:

• licence fees
• sites
• issues with huts or chalets (please note that the council cannot help private hut owners in accessing their huts or making repairs)
• moving huts
• waiting lists for hut sites and chalets

For questions relating to or to report an issue with the resort, such as toilets, dog waste, bins or vegetation, please contact East Suffolk Services Ltd.

To make a complaint, please use our complaints procedure.

The council liaises with the Felixstowe Beach Hut and Chalet Association (FBHCA) on a regular basis and updates them on particular issues or work that might impact on or be of interest to beach hut owners in Felixstowe. To become a member or for further information please contact FBHCA direct.