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A seafront bar and restaurant has been granted permission to keep six beach huts in place on a permanent basis. The huts, located at Rockwater bar and restaurant on Kingsway, Hove, were originally installed as a temporary measure to support the business during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have now been given permanent status following approval from Brighton and Hove City Council on March 20.
The huts are used to serve takeaway food and beverages. A council planning report highlighted that the huts have been "well received by the community" and have continued to be used despite the reopening of indoor spaces within the restaurant. The report added: "The beach huts do not protrude beyond the boundary of the main property and the business manages the queues effectively to ensure the esplanade stays clear for pedestrians and service vehicles.
" Rockwater bar and restaurant (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus) Rockwater was granted temporary planning permission for the huts in 2022, which expired in February 2025. Rockwater's application for permanent retention of the huts stated that they provide a "popular addition to the esplanade with clear benefits to local business." The huts are located at promenade level, with three huts to the east of the main building and three to the west.
READ NEXT: Plans submitted for new live music and theatre venue with drinking establishment The huts have been painted to match the existing beach huts on the esplanade. The land on which the huts are situated belongs to the city council and the huts themselves are maintained under the same lease conditions as all other beach huts on Hove Promenade and Esplanade. The view from the Rockwater terrace ( The Argus) This requires them to be kept to a high standard or face immediate termination of the lease.
During busy periods, the application says, queuing systems are in place to ensure the esplanade stays clear for passers-by. People are encouraged to wait away from the main esplanade thoroughfare until their order is called. READ NEXT: Retrospective planning application for Airbnb 'shepherd huts' rejected The council's planning report also noted that the development emulates the form and scale of historic beach huts along the seafront and has become an accepted part of the streetscene.
The development has not generated any recorded complaints to the planning enforcement team since opening. The huts were first installed during Covid-19 (Image: The Argus) The development does not cause a significant narrowing of the promenade and is considered to have an acceptable impact on highway safety, according to the planning report. Sussex Police Community Safety has also reported no incidents of crime and disorder relating to the premises at the location, and therefore, from a crime prevention perspective, there is no objection to the development.
As the landowner, the council has the power to remove the development should it begin to have an unacceptable impact on the promenade..
