PLANNERS have approved Cornwall Council’s own application for new beach huts at Crooklets.

The application for the erection of 38 small beach huts, the demolition of 26 dilapidated beach huts and replacement with 26 news huts, as well as the refurbishment of 41 existing concrete beach huts, was approved at a meeting of Cornwall Council’s east sub area planning committee on Monday.

An objection to the application was received, which meant it had to determined by the planning committee and not under delegated powers.

The agenda for the meeting, held at Bodmin, stated the application was for 36 small beach huts, but the case officer, John Rudge, said it should read ’38 small beach huts’.

Cornwall Council owns the land and the proposed huts would create viable income for it, he said.

Julia Bryson, a Bude-Stratton Town councillor, spoke against the application as a member of the public. She said four of the proposed huts are by Bude Surf Life Saving Club, and the plan would affect access to it.

She added: “The nearby toilets are to be closed by Cornwall Council on March 31. It is not conducive to encouraging visitors to use the beach huts.

“These are costly sheds.”

Bude-Stratton Town Councillor Bob Willingham, who also spoke in objection, said: “Our feelings are this application has been poorly researched and rushed. Cornwall Council has paid a consultant to draw up the scheme but it has not been fully checked for accuracy.

“The map on show does show Cornwall Council land, it doesn’t show a large area of it is on a 30-year lease to Bude Surf Life Saving Club.

“Those four huts are on the main South West Coast Path thoroughfare.”

Cllr Willingham added he wanted to see the plans ‘correctly submitted to provide a great amenity for the town’.

Mr Rudge said the Ramblers’ Association and the Countryside Access officer were consulted, and did not object to the proposal.

Mr Rudge also said he was ‘unaware of the closure of the toilets’, and said no toilet facilities are provided in the proposed beach huts.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Andrew Long, Mebyon Kernow member for Callington, tried to check what is happening with Cornwall Council’s public conveniences online, but said he was unable to find an answer.

Cllr Derek Holley, for Saltash East, raised his concerns about the potential for public conveniences to close: “If they will stay open and you can assure me of that, fine, but we need to know before we do this.”

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Torpoint East, Brian Hobbs, said: “There are always people in that area who are going to need the loo. If they have got enough to fund this they have got enough money to fund the toilets.”

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Bude David Parsons was not at the meeting because of a prior engagement but in a statement, read out to councillors he said: “I don’t understand on what planning grounds it can be opposed. If I was there I would be proposing passing that application.”

Liberal Democrat Cllr for Blisland and Lanivet, Chris Batters, added: “I have spoken to Cllr Parsons on this issue. He’s perfectly happy with it. I can’t imagine someone building anything that’s not going to be let out.”

The application was approved by 13 votes to one.

• As the Post went to press, a Cornwall Council spokesperson said: “Bude-Stratton Town Council have expressed an interest in managing the toilets

and will decide on March 3.”