Forty-four beach hut owners have been sent letters terminating their licences – and 14 of them look set to lose their leave their seafront sites.

The 44 beach huts line the prom close to the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe and were placed there as a temporary measure after beach erosion meant they could no longer stay on the shore.

On Monday East Suffolk Council's planning south committee approved new locations for 24 of the huts – six on the South Beach and 18 on the beach at the Clifflands.

That left 20 without a site, but the council says it has an additional six spaces which already have planning permission – four at The Dip, one at the extreme left of Manor End and another at Brackenbury – leaving 14 unable to be saved.

Leaseholders of all 44 have received notices of termination, the council said.

Council officers met with Felixstowe’s Beach Hut and Chalet Association late on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue but confirmed there were no further options available for the 14 with no new locations.

A council spokesman said: “The council is disappointed that only two of the four applications were subject to approval by the local planning authority, giving 24 spaces.

“The council has a further six spaces available that have already received planning permission – four at The Dip, one additional space at the extreme left of Manor End and a third-row site at Brackenbury, giving a total of 30 hut sites.

“This will leave 14 hut owners without a site. All 44 hut owners have already received notice of termination for their existing sites at the Spa.

“Officers met with the Beach Hut and Chalet Association to discuss this as a priority. Sadly, there will be some beach hut owners for whom an allocation will not be available.”

Felixstowe is believed to be one of the first beaches in the country to have beach huts, with the traditional seaside cabins having graced the sands there since the 1890s.

Proposals to create a row of 18 behind existing huts on the cliff near Golf Road car park and 16 at Manor End between the sea wall and promenade were both turned down.