IF NEW beach lodges in Boscombe prove a success the council may look to create more elsewhere on the seafront.

Bournemouth council recently unveiled plans for some nine new overnight stay beach huts at Manor Steps. The construction of 15 such huts at the site sparked controversy last year as the tenants of existing huts were left staring at the back of the new ones.

At a full council meeting the cabinet was asked by Councillor Gina Mackin whether the scheme could be extended further.

"I would first like to say that as ambassador of this beautiful town I was concerned about beach lodges being built last year at Boscombe Manor and did voice my concerns at the planning board," she said.

"Well I am delighted to say I was wrong and they have been a huge success."

She said the huts built last year had seen 1,341 bookings so far. In 2017-2018 there were 954 bookings and an occupancy rate of 65 per cent.

Also she said, "the majority of weekends for October/November" were fully occupied and "some guests even stayed over Christmas".

"Currently there is a planning application for nine more huts in the same area, as I am sure these huts will also be in high demand is it the council’s intention to roll this out further along the beach and if so in which areas."

Cllr Pat Oakley, cabinet member for tourism, said: "Many thanks to Cllr Mackin for raising a project that can only be described as a spectacular success story for Bournemouth.

"We were always confident the lodges would be very popular during the summer but as Cllr Mackin points out the bookings in the late autumn and over the Christmas and New Year period were very strong and an excellent indicator to the wider demand for the product.

"A further nine lodges will, subject to planning permission, be ready for Spring 2019 to help meet that demand.

"There are currently no further sites identified for more lodges, however if demand continues to grow this will be reviewed."

Bournemouth council says the huts are part of its wider Seafront Strategy. It is currently negotiating with they Meyrick Estate, which owns large areas of the seafront, with a view to encouraging more development along the front.

The borough's seafront team and tourism department is now merged with that of Poole, and the councils are due to be dissolved and replaced by a unitary for the conurbation April.