New shelter opens on The Downs

A new Victorian-inspired seafront shelter has been officially opened at Beacon Hill in Herne Bay.

The shelter, which has been designed by the city council’s engineering team, is a replacement for a nearby one that was burnt down eight years ago in an act of vandalism. The majority of the £50,000 cost has come from an insurance pay-out following that incident, with the remainder coming from the city council.

It has been moved further up The Downs from its predecessor so it is visible from the road and overlooked by properties, to try and reduce the risk of vandalism.

There is a purpose-built flat access so that wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs can enjoy the shelter. It also has a slate roof, has been finished with fire-retardant paint and has been installed on a concrete pad to raise it up, to prevent water rot.

A bench has been ordered for the longer section of the shelter facing the sea and will be installed soon.

CantThe city council has been working with the local residents’ group, the East Cliff Panel, to see the project through to completion and guests from the group were there for the unveiling event last Monday (19 August).

The council’s Senior Environment Officer, Rebecca Booth, said: “We’d like to thank the East Cliff Panel for their commitment and passion for this project. It’s been great to see such interest and they have followed it all the way through to completion.

“We are very happy with the new shelter and hope it brings lots of enjoyment to residents and visitors in the years to come.”

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