A GROUP of beach hut owners in Bournemouth are celebrating after being told they would retain their sought-after sea view for at least another year.

Bournemouth Council has announced it would be abandoning its plans to place huts in front of 14 existing ones near Manor Steps, between Bournemouth and Southbourne.

It comes after a meeting between the beach hut owners and seafront staff on Wednesday to discuss the plans.

Gillian Vincent, 79, has owned a hut there for more than 50 years and she has led protests against the proposal.

Speaking to the Echo she said: "We are absolutely thrilled that the decision has been made to abandon these plans. It was a real victory for the beach hut owners.

"If they had gone ahead our views of the beach, prom and sea would have been ruined.

"But thankfully they have now said there will not be any huts placed in front of ours this year.

"We just want to be treated the same way as anyone else who has a beach hut along the seafront."

Originally the council claimed it needed to create a turning circle for the land train ahead of the opening of 15 new overnight huts in the area and therefore needed to move 14 huts in front of others.

However it has now said there is space for the train to turn without moving the huts.

Cllr Lawrence Williams, cabinet member for leisure, tourism and the arts at Bournemouth Council, said: “After a meeting with the Beach Hut Association and tenants from Manor Steps, a short term compromise has been found which means that the tenants view will remain unaffected whilst the land train can still run and turn safely.

"In the longer term, we still intend to place beach huts along this stretch of the promenade as part of the ongoing Seafront Strategy, to improve the services on the seafront.”