PLANS to replace almost 120 storm-ravaged beach huts have been given the go-ahead in a bid to prevent any further delays.

Civic chiefs have approved a £1.1m plan to bulldoze a long line of terraced huts that were either damaged or destroyed by 80mph winds that battered the Hampshire coastline on February 14 last year.

New Forest District Council has given itself planning permission to demolish the huts and build similar structures on the same site.

An outline proposal to redevelop a strip of council-owned land at Hurst Road, Milford on Sea, was voted through at yesterday’s meeting of the planning and development control committee.

The cost of replacing the 119 concrete huts will be borne by the council and beach hut owners.

A representative from Milford Parish Council urged the committee to defer the application and review the whole seafront, rather than merely replace what was already there.

Cllr Sue Whitlock said: “This scheme just replicates what was a very outdated and, to some, unappealing promenade and seafront.”

But Cllr Anna Rostand, a beach hut owner herself, was one of several committee members who urged the authority to forge ahead with the proposal.

“The catastrophic storm that caused so much damage happened more than a year ago. We would like to see the beach huts replaced so that everyone can enjoy them,” she said.

Cllr Paul Woods said: “We should get on with the job.

“If we go on dithering we are looking at possibly another year going by – and the seafront at the moment looks absolutely terrible.”

As reported in the Daily Echo, plans to redevelop the site were drawn up within months of what became known as the Valentine’s Day storm.

However, the application was not submitted until a few weeks ago.

A more detailed proposal will have to be approved by the council before work on the new huts can start.