Overview

• Sophie Jarman applied in March for retrospective planning permission after installing an enclosed wooden balustrade and replacing decking at her Hordle Cliffs beach hut without prior consent.
• Neighbours have objected on the council’s planning portal, calling the opaque panels an “invasive” blot that overshadows adjacent huts and restricts views.
• Objectors warn that approving the plain wood enclosure would set a precedent for other owners to erect similar structures, undermining the seafront’s preserved colourful character.
• Jarman says the work was intended to replace rotten materials and that she was unaware permission was required, and she plans to repaint the hut in a more appropriate colour.
• New Forest District Council has not yet decided on the application, and recent media coverage has amplified local scrutiny of the outcome.