Work to restore beach huts in Brightlingsea left devastated by Storm Ciara will be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The beloved seaside huts were ripped from the ground during the fierce tidal surge and storms in February, with many left strewn across the shore amid strong winds of up to 70mph.
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Tendring District Council had planned to move huts affected to a central location this week, so that work could be carried out on the stands.
The huts would then have been placed back along the promenade - but the Covid-19 outbreak has delayed the works, with council staff redeployed to priority services,
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Alex Porter, cabinet member for leisure and tourism at the authority, said: “Restoring the beach huts to their correct place is important to us, as we know it is to the Brightlingsea community too.
“We hope local residents and beach hut owners understand that in these unusual times we have taken a sensible decision to put our staff where they are needed most.
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“By prioritising our support for the district as a whole, and the most vulnerable within our communities, together we can get through this pandemic.
“We will replace the beach huts as soon as the opportunity arises.”
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