THE National Trust is seeking planning permission to relocate a number of ‘vulnerable’ beach huts at Studland’s Middle Beach, which was battered by Storm Angus last month.

The trust is currently in talks with Studland Parish Council about proposals for the future of the beach’s facilities.

It wants to relocate Middle Beach Café and the toilet block, and remove the sea defences protecting them, which the trust says are reaching the end of their natural life.

However, around 3,000 people have signed petitions opposing the move, and argue the existing sea defences should be improved, allowing the café to remain where it is.

The National Trust has always maintained the cafe would not be relocated before the end of the current operator's lease, which expires in October 2017.

They are in the middle of a six-month period of engagement with the local community about the beach’s future.

In the meantime, the trust says it is acting to maintain public safety and access to facilities at Middle Beach over the winter.

A spokesman said the beach had been affected by Storm Angus in November.

"Temporary fencing has therefore been erected to restrict public access to a small area of beach around the sea defences on safety grounds. Beach users are being warned to not to climb on the sea defences as doing so could put them at risk."

He continued: “Sand has also been piled up to enable safe use of the beach and to restore access to a number of beach huts where it was lost as a result of Storm Angus. The sand came from areas of Studland Beach where it accumulates naturally and work was carried out at night to minimise the impact on beach users.

“These measures are designed to cope with the immediate effects of winter storms, but are not enough to ensure the longer term future of facilities on a rapidly changing coastline.

“The Trust is therefore seeking planning permission to relocate a number of vulnerable beach huts as well as engaging with the local community over proposals for the future of Middle Beach.”

In October, the National Trust held a public exhibition at Studland Village Hall, which detailed their plans for the facilities at Middle Beach.

This work is part of a policy of non-intervention the National Trust says it wants to implement at the popular coastal site.