PLANS to build 119 beach huts to replace storm damaged structures have moved another step closer to fruition.

The design for the replacement huts at Milford-on-Sea has been handed to planning officers at New Forest District Council.

It comes after the scheme was approved by council chiefs last month.

The privately-owned huts will be set back into the promenade in an attempt to ensure they survive any future storms of the same severity.

It means the proposed new structures – due to be built on council-owned land by next August – will be directly below the esplanade.

The £1.3million scheme was given the go-ahead, despite criticisms over the design and layout.

There were worries disabled people would find it hard to access their huts safely, with concern also raised over the narrower structures being more difficult to dry out.

Other owners said the huts would support a public walkway that was likely to prove a magnet for skateboarders.

After a public consultation, designers amended details and shifted the huts to the west, taking them out of the most exposed location.

They also removed gaps between the terraces, and set the beach huts back, providing a wider lower promenade.

The proposal also includes an improved ramp to both the western and eastern ends of the beach and improved accessibility along the lower promenade through alterations to the steps down at the stair landings.

Cabinet members stressed last month that the huts would be the same size as their predecessors, which were demolished after being battered by 80mph winds on the night of February 14 last year.