Beach Huts
Online Services
There are a number of beach hut services which you can report and apply for online. You can search the beach report it page or beach application forms page or view the apply for it and report it links in the right hand column of this page.
Change to beach hut licensing 2009
Borough of Poole is preparing for a national change in the way beach hut rental is charged.
This is because HM Revenue & Customs has advised all Councils in the UK that they intend to individually rate all beach huts in the UK for non-domestic rates.
Currently Poole charges one fee to its beach hut tenants. This fee has two elements:
- a) Licence fee payment to hire the beach hut from the Council
- b) Non-domestic rates - there are 5 rating bands currently in Poole.
From 2009, this fee will be broken into 2 separate bills. This is because the Valuation Office Agency at HM Revenues & Customs wants to give an individual rating to each beach hut. Until Poole's beach huts have been assessed we can only charge the licence fee element of the bill. These bills will go out to tenants week commencing 10 November 2008.
HM Revenues & Customs is not yet able to confirm how much the newly assessed rates will be, but based on our current assessment, we believe an annual rate bill will be in the region of £400. However, tenants will be able to claim Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) on their beach hut from April 2009 onwards, providing they don't pay business rates elsewhere. This will reduce the rates element of their beach hut hire by 50%. Instructions on how to apply for this reduction will be sent with the domestic rates bill.
Rates Assessment of your Beach Hut
What are the changes?
At the moment, all beach huts in Poole are assessed within one of five bands and the Council pays the tax rates for these. This was included within the calculation of your licence fee each year. However, we have recently received instruction from HM Revenue & Customs of their intention to individually rate all of the Poole's beach huts.
What does it mean for beach hut tenants?
When beach huts have been individually rated, we will have to issue individual rate bills to all beach hut occupiers, who will now be liable to pay for these non-domestic rates themselves. It is likely that this change will take effect from 1 January 2009.
How much will it be?
HM Revenues & Customs is not yet able to confirm how much the rates will be, but based on our current assessment, we believe an annual rate bill will be in the region of £400.00. However, you will be able to claim Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) on your beach hut from April 2009 onwards, providing you don't pay business rates elsewhere. This will reduce your rates bill by 50%.
What do I have to do to reduce my bill?
When you receive the rates part of your beach hut bill, it will include an application form to apply for the 50% reduction. You have to complete this form and return it to us. You can find further details on non-domestic rates and Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) on the HM Revenues & Customs Valuation website: www.voa.gov.uk. or call them direct on 0845 6021507
When will this take effect from?
We expect to know when HM Revenues & Customs will begin individually assessing Poole's beach huts by the end of 2008. We will then let you know when the second part of your beach hut licence bill (the rates element) will be sent to you
What if I want to cancel my arrangement now?
We hope you will want to keep your beach hut licence and continue to enjoy your beach hut. However, all tenants have the right to cancel their agreement by giving one month's notice in writing to the address on this letter.
What is the beach hut rent charge being spent on?
As a poorly funded Council, we use income from various sources including beach huts to help avoid having to make cuts to other valued leisure services in Poole.
The money gathered from beach hut rental pays for beach services such as;
- Repairs & maintenance to Poole's 1140 beach huts on a rolling programme
- Maintenance to services on site such as public toilets, water supply, showers
- Beach Services staff (4 permanent staff, 8-10 seasonal)
- RNLI beach lifeguard services
- Vehicle maintenance
- Security patrols
It also supplements the budget for the rest of our leisure services in Poole such as;
- Parks
- Recreation Grounds
- Children's Playgrounds
- Leisure Centres
- Crematorium
How to pay by Direct Debit
You can pay your licence fee monthly over six months (from January to June) if you opt to pay by direct debit. If you don't already pay this way and wish to do so, please contact us.
What if I already pay by direct debit?
If you already pay by direct debit, you don't need to do anything, as the new fees will be automatically taken. However, your direct debit instruction will not cover payment of the non-domestic rates due on your beach hut. When you receive your rates bill, you will be advised how you can pay this.
If any licence instalment payments are not made on the due date, then the monthly arrangement will be terminated and you will have to pay the full outstanding amount immediately. If you then fail to do this, you'll be liable for any costs incurred by the Council and would lose your licence.
Please note that payments & any new direct debit forms for 2009 licence fees must be sent by 1st December 2008 to Borough of Poole, Financial Services Section, PO Box 722, Poole, BH15 2YE
Can I sub-let my Beach Hut?
You are currently entitled to sub-hire (let) your beach hut for a maximum of 56 days in any full year. If you do let your hut, please remember that you are required to notify us of all hirers and the dates they will use your facility - if you fail to do so, you could risk losing your licence. Your terms & conditions also set out the maximum fees you are able to charge, and we have raised these limits for 2009:
April, May, June & September : £52 / week (was £48)
July & August : £105 / week (was £98)
October through to March 2009 : £22 / week (was £20)
Christmas & New Year Arrangements
Please note that the opening times for Sandbanks Beach Office over the holiday period will be:
24th - 28th December - CLOSED
29th - 31st December - 9.30am to 4.00pm
1st January - CLOSED
2nd January onwards - 9.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (Winter season)
If you need to return keys when the Office is closed, please place them in a plain envelope and ensure that they are labelled with your name, telephone number, beach hut location & number. If you want to check that they have been safely received, please contact the Beach Office.
How to Contact Us
- By Email - you can contact us at: beachoffice@poole.gov.uk
- Online - detailed information (inc. terms & conditions) is available 24 hours a day - see www.boroughofpoole.com/leisure and look under the 'Services' tab at the top of the page.
- By Phone - call our Customer Services Team on 01202 708181 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, who will be able to handle most of your needs or pass you onto the Beach Office if you need to speak with them directly. Call 0845 6021507 for more information about Small Business Rates
- In Person - at the Sandbanks Beach Office during opening hours, 9.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (October - April) or 9am - 6pm, Monday - Sunday (May - September).
- By Letter - please write to us at: Borough of Poole, Beach Administration, Sandbanks Beach Office, Banks Road, Poole, BH13 7QQ
Short Term Hire
We have a small number of huts that are available for short term hire. One day hire does not require any booking and you can visit the Sandbanks Beach Office on the day you wish to have a hut to check availability. For weekly and winter hire (six months) you are required to book in advance. Weekly and winter hire starts at 2:00pm on Saturday and ends 12:00pm (noon) Saturday of the date your hire ends.
Beach Hut locations:
- Sandbanks
- Shore Road
- Canford Cliffs (untill September 2009)
- Branksome Chine
- Branksome Dene
To view the location of any of our beach huts (excluding Canford Cliffs) you can download a PDF of the relevant map, found on the top right hand side of this page.
Huts can be booked as follows:
- Two weeks only during the period July to August (incl) and any 4 weeks outside this period
- From May additional bookings may become available
- Bookings can be made at any time up to one year in advance.
Short Term Hire Charges
The following are 2008 hire charges (inclusive of VAT)
Prices for Huts (excluding those with electricity & water)
Dates - 2008/2009 | Price for weekly hire | Price for daily hire |
|---|---|---|
| 29 March - 24 May | £48 | £21 |
| 24 May - 5 July | £101 | £21 |
| 5 July - 6 September | £127 | £21 |
| 6 September - 27 September | £48 | £21 |
Sandbanks beach hut No: 98 (water & electric) & 108 (electric)
Dates - 2008/2009 | Price for weekly hire | Price for daily hire |
|---|---|---|
| 29 March - 24 May | £61 | £21 |
| 24 May - 5 July | £127 | £21 |
| 5 July - 6 September | £159 | £21 |
| 6 September - 27 September | £61 | £21 |
Winter hire: 27 September 2008 - 28 March 2009 :£371
Shore Road Beach Hut No: 45 (water)
Dates - 2008/2009 | Price for weekly hire | Price for daily hire |
|---|---|---|
| 29 March - 24 May | £57 | £21 |
| 24 May - 5 July | £121 | £21 |
| 5 July - 6 September | £138 | £21 |
| 6 September - 27 September | £54 | £21 |
Winter hire: 27 September 2008 - 28 March 2009 :£345
Look out for early and late season deals. These will be advertised on this website or you can telephone (see below) us for further information.
Access to Leisure
Access to Leisure and Learning card holders can enjoy a significant (50%) discount both in Spring (April) and Autumn (September) for all Poole's beach huts.
Facilities
All short term hire beach huts are furnished with:
- four deck chairs
- four plastic chairs
- a plastic table
- parasol/sun shade and stand
- storage cupboard
- work top and curtains
There are no cooking facilities provided.
How to book a short term beach hut
Our beach huts are very popular and it is recommended you book early to avoid disappointment. They can be booked up to one year in advance.
- Firstly you should telephone Leisure Services on 01202 708181 to check availability for the dates you wish to book.
- You are then required to complete a booking form having read the terms and conditions of hire and post it or email to the address below.
Annual Beach Hut Rentals
The majority of Poole's beach huts are leased annually for which there is currently a waiting list. Annual beach hut licences are only allocated to residents of Poole whose primary residence is in the Borough and pay full Council Tax at that address. These beach huts are located at:
- Sandbanks
- Shore Road/Flaghead
- Canford Cliffs
- Branksome Chine
- Branksome Dene
- Hamworthy Park (site only)
Sub-hire Charges
Once you have been allocated an annual licence you are permitted (with prior permission from the Council) to sub-hire your hut for up to 56 days a years. You can view the terms and conditions for sub-hire on the top right hand side this page. Should you wish to sub-let your hut please write to us or email us at the address below.
Weekly Hire charges - 2008
- April - June & September :£48 / week
- July - August :£98 / week
- October - March 2009 :£20 / week
Change of details
Please write to or email us (contact information below) with any changes to your information including name, address, telephone number or email.
Terminating your beach hut/site licence
If you wish to terminate your beach hut/site licence, please inform us in writing by email or post giving at least one month's notice, stating your name, beach hut number and location.
Beach Hut Waiting List
The beach hut and site waiting lists for annual licences are currently closed as we have been inundated with applications. The waiting time for Beach Huts and Hamworthy Park Sites is approximately 10 years and it is our policy not to add any more applicants to the list until it is reduced to five years waiting.
There are various factors that will be taken into consideration before the lists can be re-opened including the number of applicants waiting, the numbers and types(ie ground or upper level) of beach huts allocated in the previous three years. Once the waiting time is reduced to five years the list will re-open and you will be informed through this website.
Changing your beach hut preferences
If you are currently on the waiting list and at any time wish to amend your beach hut choices please complete the Waiting List - Change of Preference report form.
Sandbanks Beach Office Opening Hours
October to March - 9.30am - 4.30pm (Monday to Friday only)
April - 9.30am - 4.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
May to September - 9.30am - 6.00pm (Monday to Sunday)
Contact us
Sandbanks Beach Office
Banks Road
Poole
Dorset
BH13 7QQ
Telephone:- 01202 708181
Fax:- 01202 701066
Email:- beachoffice@poole.gov.uk
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