Beach huts at Bude get £1m Cornwall Council investment

About £1m of public money is to be spent building 250 more beach huts and renovating others in one part of Cornwall.

Cornwall Council is spending the money to rejuvenate the seafront at Crooklets and Summerleaze beaches in Bude.

Some council taxpayers described the plans as a "total disgrace" at a time when many public toilets have shut.

The huts will be leased on an annual, weekly or daily basis and the authority said the cost could go up.

John James, Natural Environment Officer at Cornwall Council, said it was a worthwhile investment.

"They are getting a bit tired and require some investment. We've looked at the popularity of it and the waiting list, we've got a number of people actually waiting to acquire a beach hut. They're very, very sought after," he said.

"The prices will increase from next year when the new huts are in so was can actually re-coup our investment."

However some council taxpayers described the plans as a waste of money and said it would be better spent on keeping public toilets open.

Cornwall Council has decided to stop funding for running public toilets from 1 April 2016, saying it needed to find savings of £196m.

A number of public toilets have been devolved to town and parish councils, some have been transferred back to private landowners and others are out for tender, external.

Penny Carrington from the Bude Tourist Information Centre said the move will ensure the future survival of the huts.

"They are part of what makes Bude 'Bude'. They've been there for years... They're really important to people - local people and visitors," she said.