East Suffolk Council
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 us 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.
NEW Seashore Village Felixstowe
New traditional timber beach huts are now available for sale at Seashore Village Felixstowe (long-lease basis). Enquiries to SeashoreVillage@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.
NEW Seashore Village Felixstowe Accessible Beach Chalets (for short-term hire from March 2024)
New furnished and heated chalet by the sea, designed with accessibility in mind. Enquiries to SeashoreVillage@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.
Beach huts at 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 us.
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.
New Eastern Edge, new Lowestoft Beach Huts
New stylish and contemporary beach huts at Lowestoft Beach are now available (completed July 2022).
Wanting to purchase? Enjoy your very own beach hut every day! For Eastern Edge hut purchase enquiries, please contact Paul Hubbard Estate Agents 01502 446000.
Wanting to hire? For Eastern Edge hut hire information and booking, please go to our online beach hut booking system. For other information, including Eastern Edge Daily Hire in August contact Lowestoft.Beach@eastfuffolk.gov.uk.
New for 2023. Eastern Edge hired huts are fitted-out inside for a greater hut experience! Details on the Hire Beachuts website or call 01502 586167 for information. A variety of styles with shelves, benching, tables and loose chairs are available now.
Accessible Eastern Edge huts are available for hire on the booking website online beach hut booking system and also via the beach office by calling 01502 586167 or email an enquiry to Lowestoft.Beach@eastfuffolk.gov.uk. There is also the opportunity to book two of our accessible beach huts as a pair; these beach huts can be linked together by arrangement to provide a larger hut space (Eastern Edge - Level Access beach huts 55E & 56E and 57E & 58E) and are ideal for larger groups, community/group bookings and those need a large accessible space. Please call 01502 586167 for more details.
Beach huts at Lowestoft available for weekly hire - Newly refurbished for 2023
Come and enjoy our sandy beaches! You can hire a Lowestoft beach hut from us in 2023 via our online beach hut booking system.
A great selection of newly refurbished beach chalets are available for hire including some with level access. See online beach hut booking system for further details or get in touch with the Lowestoft Beach Office Lowestoft.Beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk
Beach huts at Lowestoft available for long hire
The Lowestoft beach huts, via long-hire licence agreement are fully occupied at present and there is a waiting list should any of these huts become available. Due to the current length of the waiting list, unfortunately we are unable to register any new interest in these at this time.
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
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 queries around parking permits, please contact Customer Services.
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.