A BID to build beach huts at Highcliffe has been branded a “fiasco” after the television company pulled out of the controversial deal.

Plum Pictures served Christchurch Borough Council with a termination notice on Friday, ahead of a council meeting to amend the agreement.

The leader of the council, Ray Nottage, has refused to comment further, saying the council’s press release was “self explanatory”.

Those opposed to the scheme have railed against the council’s ‘secrecy’, hitting out at the lack of consultation and transparency from the authority, who agreed the scheme at meetings held in private.

Calls to abandon the agreement have previously been dismissed by the council due to large costs likely to be sought by Plum Pictures.

But yesterday, the council confirmed neither the company or council would be seeking costs.

Chief executive David McIntosh, said: “We are disappointed that the project will not now be able to go ahead as we believe it would have been an innovative way of helping to regenerate Highcliffe and bring more tourism and economic benefits to the area.

“We recognise that this project had its opponents but the council is committed to working more closely with the community to improve the area for the benefit of all.”

Cllr Colin Jamieson, chairman of the council’s scrutiny committee, said the investigation into the decision making would continue.

Vice-chairman, Cllr Lesley Dedman, said: “It’s even more important now to have the full investigation in view of the fact it has all ended like this.”

She said the reputational damage to the council “had been terrible” and described the whole process as “a fiasco.”

“Somebody will have to take responsibility for it and I mean political accountability.”

Christchurch MP Chris Chope, who has criticised the deal from the outset, said: “The council and the councillors need to think through what lessons should be learnt from this saga because it can be very expensive politically.

“The amount of officer time spent on this and God knows how much money they have spent on legal advice; this is all bad for the reputation of the council.

“In particular, the reputation of the council as being an open and accountable body has been undermined.”

A spokesman for Channel 4 said: “Britain’s Best Beach Huts was pitched to Channel 4 as a joint venture between Christchurch Borough Council and Plum Pictures. Plum Pictures have informed us that due to the council being unable to deliver the originally agreed use of the proposed site - they are having to discontinue the project.”

'Council can't be trusted'

IT will be difficult to trust Christchurch councillors after the Highcliffe beach huts ‘fiasco’, residents have said.

Nigel Brooks, chairman of the steering group Friends of Highcliffe Beaches and Cliffs, told the Daily Echo yesterday’s result was owed to the campaigners’ tenacity.

“This has been a tremendous achievement for a community group to persuade the council that this should not be a project for Highcliffe,” he said, adding that any such development would have greatly impacted on the area’s “tranquility, beauty and natural flora”.

“We are aware they may come in with other plans but the campaign is now established and we have a lot of support,” he added.

“I think it makes it very difficult to trust the council now because notwithstanding they have a consultation charter which talks about being open and engaging with its residents in this particular project they have woefully shown they have not done that.

"The council needs to go back to basics. Things have to radically change and they need to engage with people.

"Council members really have to consider if they wish to keep their seats they have to change their ways.”

Campaigners celebrated yesterday’s result at Highcliffe beach.