Beach huts with no view of the sea that were built for £125,000 and have never been rented out or made any money have been blasted by locals as ‘another total waste of money’.The timber huts were built on land adjacent to Par Sands beach, near St Austell, Cornwall, six years ago with locals saying then that they would be a waste of cash.  At the time there was criticism over the money being spent on them as well as on the chosen location where they were built – a piece of land which sits behind the dunes at the edge of the beach. It’s next to a public toilet block and the beach huts don’t have the sea view that you would expect.  However, Jordan Rowse, who was the Cornwall councillor for Par and St Blazey, argued there had been ‘overwhelming support’ for the plans that were part of the regeneration of Par Beach. He said they would be available for anyone to rent and use. The timber huts were built on land adjacent to Par Sands beach, near St Austell, Cornwall, six years ago with locals saying then that they would be a waste of money However, the huts have brought in an income of £0 because the authority has never been able to secure someone to manage themNow, six years on from their construction, a member of the public has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request which has revealed how the council spent a six-figure sum building them but has never rented them out successfully.The huts have brought in an income of £0 because the authority has never been able to secure someone to manage them. It did, however, say it keeps a list of interested persons who would like to rent one if it does find a managing tenant, but for some reason has not decided to manage them itself to start bringing in rent from those keen would-be tenants.In 2017, many residents agreed that they ‘loved the nostalgia’ of the hut plans but it was widely agreed that the money could be better spent elsewhere.Others suggested that the funds should be used to contribute to cleaning of the beach and removal of seaweed, as large swathes of it wash up along the shoreline.Cornwall Council said the total cost of the project was £124,567 to date. In the FOI response, it said: ‘The huts at Par have not been let out to date and have provided no revenue income.’At one point the smaller huts (150cm x 180cm) were being offered up for an annual fee of £900, while the larger ones (240cm x 180cm) would cost £1,100 to rent per year. It is not known what the rental cost would be currently.’The beach hut installation was finalised in 2019, meaning that the first year they were available for operation was 2020, which was affected by the lockdowns of the Covid pandemic, and they were not let out for that reason,’ the council response continued’Since then, Cornwall Council has run three open tender rounds with an aim to secure a managing tenant, the latest in Spring 2024 and seeks to run another open round of tenders in advance of the 2025 season.’ The huts are next to a public toilet block and don’t have a view of the beach.It said as long as there is no managing tenant, the huts are unable to be rented out.One local called them a ‘white elephant’ saying they were too small to be practical. ‘As it stands, a total waste of money,’ she said.Another added: ‘I think most of us are far too apathetic. Sadly the results are exactly as expected. ‘Another total waste of money, not researched beforehand and displaying a total lack of knowledge of the beach itself. In a word, pathetic.”Beach huts, not on the beach, can’t see the sea or the kids playing and no facilities, otherwise perfect,’ said another.Another said they should be made available for ‘minimal rent’ saying any income would be better than the £0 achieved to date. ‘Make it a little destination for local crafts, ice cream hut, mini museum, beach art etc. It would need all the huts to be occupied to make it work and worthwhile visiting, but it would be lovely for a summer season,’ they said.Cornwall Council is planning another round of open tenders to secure a managing tenant for the beach huts before the 2025 summer season. A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: ‘Since the Par Beach huts were installed we have actively sought a tenant to manage this unique venue through annual open tender rounds.’The next tender window will be over the winter with the aim to have the beach huts operational for the 2025 summer season.’With the beach and dunes a designated Local Nature Reserve and improvements to the cycle track between Par and the beach, the huts present a fantastic local business opportunity along a busy thoroughfare for residents and visitors.’We will be holding public engagement events and other promotional activities to raise awareness of this unique opportunity.’We are especially keen to see innovative and socially enterprising tenders come forward.’Anyone who has a business idea and might be interested in running the beach huts can express an interest with us estatesdelivery@cornwall.gov.uk and we will send them a tender pack when it is available.’