DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN true to their word with the first ten controversial beach huts in place on the beach at Findhorn – and more to follow in the near future.
A decision last year by Moray Council planners to grant permission for the huts against the wishes of several local objectors sparked fury – and ultimately a case in the Court of Session as some residents sought to have the plans halted.
However, in January a judge ruled that not only did Moray Council stick to the rules in reaching their decision, the huts would actually bring advantages to the community in the form of a tourism boost – and rejected the campaigners bid to halt their creation.
Over the last few weeks the huts have begun to appear along the shoreline – with developers saying the sale of the first hut at £25,000 had been completed with buyers already lined up for the others.
And while campaign leaders – who are reported to still be facing a £10,000 shortfall in the costs of their court action – insist that most in the village are still against the huts, the man behind the scheme insists he has received complimentary comments since they started appearing on the beach.
“There have been complimentary comments,” Sutherland McCook of 1 Architects said, adding: “Specialists from Norfolk have been building them and they have been pleased with the general positivity.
“There has been hardly anyone objecting – people have accepted it and moved on or maybe changed their minds, it is not up to me to say which.”
However, campaigner Maureen Hyde told the P&J newspaper: “They are an intrusion – there is no denying that. They are something that does not need to be there. I would say that the feeling in the village is the same as before.”
A total of 25 huts are to be built, each just 2m by 2.5m. Yesterday selling agents CCL Properties revealed that the sale of the first hut had been concluded with solicitors “and a lot more will follow in the next few weeks”.