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Owners of beach huts at Mudeford Spit in Dorset are evaluating the legal foundations of a proposed council tax reclassification that would categorize their huts as second homes. If Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council proceeds with its plan, over 300 hut owners could face paying full council tax starting in April. The Mudeford Sandbanks Beach Hut Association (MSBHA) has expressed concerns, emphasizing that the second home rule would apply to “a wooden shed with no mains connections or individual toilet facilities.”
There are 344 huts located on the sandbank near Christchurch, which are only permitted for overnight use during part of the year. Despite this limited usage, these huts have a significant market value, sometimes fetching prices in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. The anticipated council tax for 2026/27 will be decided in February, but based on current band A charges for 2025/26, the annual tax for these huts could rise substantially—from £618 to £1,236.
Darren Pridwell, chair of MSBHA, highlighted that owners have already experienced a sharp increase in annual fees, which have “almost treble[d] to over £5,200,” as the council attempts to unify charges across the coastal area. He added, “Mudeford hut owners may have a degree of sympathy for these increased costs if the level of services were at an acceptable level, but there has been next to no investment in facilities in the recent past and these are now desperately needed.” Pridwell summarized the feeling among owners, stating, “It feels like this is all take and no give.”
Another beach hut owner, Gemma Paterson, shared her family’s experience, noting that her family has owned their hut for three generations but must rent it out to cover ground rent and existing council tax. She said, “Most people think all the beach hut owners are rolling in money, this is not the case, especially for myself and my family.” Paterson emphasized the lack of improvements, adding, “We don’t have running water and we haven’t seen any improvement in the facilities over 20 years.” She questioned the justification for raising council tax when owners can only use their huts for eight months annually. The council anticipates that this tax change would generate approximately £211,000. Councillor Mike Cox, responsible for finance, stated, “It is a small amount, but we have to pull every lever we’ve got and this is just one of them.” The proposal is set to be reviewed by the council cabinet on 14 January
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