Plans for wave of new beach huts in Southsea still being pulled despite council talks

It comes after Natural England demanded a three-year study into the potential impact on birds and their habitat before deciding whether to back the council’s application.

The authority’s planning committee agreed the surveys had to be done before approving the plans.

Despite the council and Natural England getting together on Monday to talk about a way forward, Tory planning boss Luke Stubbs says there’s been no movement and the plans are being pulled altogether.

Cllr Stubbs said rent from the beach huts would have generated the council £20,000 a year.

He said: ‘We are going to withdraw the application.

‘Natural England demanded three years worth of bird surveys and that’s unreasonable. We are not going to spend a lot of money on bird surveys and not have a situation where it takes five years to determine an application.’

Cllr Stubbs said the £20,000 annual income would have proved crucial given there will be further pressure to cut the council’s budget back.