Historic beach huts are on the move again on a seafront due to the threat from high tides - leading campaigners to ask why wooden platforms had not been built for them in the first place.
Workers from East Suffolk Council have been relocating 18 huts at Clifflands beach in Felixstowe to Golf Road car park due to concerns about the "instability of the coastal environment".
The huts were among 44 that were moved from a site further along the seafront near the Spa Pavilion theatre due to the threat from beach erosion, which led to a well-publicised campaign calling for the huts to be returned to the location.
READ MORE: Owners of 14 Felixstowe beach huts to hear on return home
Of these 44, 30 were found new homes, including the 18 that went to Clifflands, while the remaining 14 were moved to Golf Road car park - known by campaigners as "Beach Hut Prison" - because the huts are surrounded by metal barriers.
The campaigners formed a new group, the Felixstowe Spa Beach Hut Association, to fight for the 14 Golf Road beach huts to return to the Spa Pavilion and in May the council's cabinet agreed that the properties could be moved back - a decision hailed as a "victory for history" by the campaigners.
Ruth Dugdall, the association's joint chair, said they were almost ready to "press the button" to restore the 14, which will now be installed on raised wooden platforms to prevent tidal damage and displacement.
However, she said there had effectively been a role reversal as the 14 huts that were originally homeless were about to move to a permanent site, while the 18 that had been found a new location were having to move to the car park.
She believed much of the upheaval could have been avoided if platforms had been built, describing the situation as an "absolute mess".
READ MORE: Felixstowe beach huts could return to Spa Pavilion theatre
She said: "We were saying right from the start, 'let us stay, but build platforms'. We always said we would be happy to pay for it.
"We are going to be back where we started with the solution we first proposed. It would be nice if somebody looked into what the heck happened here because the cost to the public has been huge."
An East Suffolk Council spokesperson said: “A total of 18 beach huts are currently being stored at a temporary site following their relocation from Clifflands Beach.
“Unfortunately, ten huts were washed out of position last autumn, while a further four huts were again affected by recent high tides this August.
"Therefore, after careful consideration and ongoing communication with beach hut owners, it has been determined that Clifflands Beach is no longer a viable site for the huts to be located.
"The continued instability of the coastal environment and the scale of reinstatement work in the event of huts being washed from position by future severe weather events, presents an almost insurmountable challenge.
“With an initial study of alternative sites complete, work will now focus on a more detailed site appraisal and we will be in contact with beach hut owners to share the findings of the study.
"We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible and providing viable options we can bring forward.
“Meanwhile, the council has provided temporary storage licences to the beach hut owners, who we thank for their patience and co-operation.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here