When Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council told Kara Haywood, 34, that she would have to get rid of her beloved beach hut, the mum was furious.

The quirky property in Durley Chine, Dorset, has belonged to her family for over 28 years – and she wasn’t willing to just send it to the scrap yard.

The local council had instructed all 11 beach hut owners that these would need to be disposed of as the area is due to be turned into an ‘Environmental Innovation Hub’ – teaching visitors about the damage caused by plastic pollution.

But Kara refused to simply throw away the spot of so many happy memories with Christmases and birthdays spent here – and instead came up with an ingenious solution to the problem.

The mum-of-four simply hired a crane and HGV to transport the hut to her house, five miles away in Northbourne, and then transformed the space into her very own garden bar.

The family have spent the summer enjoying wine and cocktails in their new drinking spot.

‘Over lockdown, we saw loads of people building home bars and pubs,’ said Kara, who works as a personal banking manager.

‘So we thought this would be great if we could do it too.

‘We used the wood from frames that were in the hut. We got off cuts of wood from B&Q but the most expensive part is the wine in the hut.’

The quirky space now features bar stools, stocked fridges, decorations and bottles of spirits.

Kara’s hut carries strong sentimental value, with the mum having spent her childhood by the seaside with her parents Dave and Tracy Haywood, both 60, and then with her own children.

She said: ‘We spent so many summers down at the beach hut growing up, and my children have as well.

‘We hosted birthday parties at the hut. We’ve gone down rain or shine. We’ve even spent some New Years Days and Boxing Days there.

‘We thought we were going to lose 28 years of memories of the beach hut, however now we have can we can make many more at the bar.

‘The council want to turn the land into a eco hub. The hub will include a beach management facility, a waste transfer site, public toilets, a catering kiosk and lifeguard control point.

‘What I will say is a Harvester and other restaurant are already there. The lifeguard stand is already there and toilets.

‘We either had to get rid ourselves by the end of the first week of September or they would dispose of it for us and pay us £250 for the loss.’

According to the council, hut owners were told of the removal back in March.

Speaking in August, a council spokesman said: ‘We understand that this has caused frustrations for some tenants and as an act of goodwill we are being flexible over the payment of this year’s invoices.

‘In order to ensure our approach is consistent, fair and complies with our beach hut management policy, both to the 11 affected beach hut tenants and to those who are currently on a beach hut waiting list, we are unable to allocate 11 new spaces along the seafront or place them at the top of the waiting list.

‘However, we have offered the tenants the option of moving to a council-owned hut in the Bournemouth West area and offered to pay them £250 for their beach hut if they no longer want it.’

Or they could just do what Kara did and create their own bar.

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