More beach huts could be built along the Island’s seafront as an extension to last year’s scheme.

Twenty huts, painted in traditional rainbow colours, were put up as part of a two-year pilot along Minster Leas last July.

They came about after the Minster Beach Hut Association (MBHA) was formed to lead the project on behalf of Swale council.

At present 10 of them are owned and 10 are rented.

The local authority has now launched a consultation about adding a minimum of 15 more huts going further along in the direction of the cliffs.

Cllr Andy Booth said when the scheme was launched there were 90 people on a waiting list. That number had now grown to about 300.

The ward member for Minster Cliffs said: “Everyone that I have spoken to is 100% in favour of them and they are desperate to get some more.

“The feedback from each of the people that have taken up one of these huts is that is has surpassed their expectations. They’ve got more than they bargained for.”

MBHA member Mark Whitton, said: “There was always a plan to trial them for a couple of years and hopefully if they were successful the council would roll out further huts.

“It sounds like they are happy with what is going on.

“With the huge amount of demand for them I think they would be mad not to put more up.

“It has been fantastic, 99% of public opinion has been brilliant.

“It has started to become a little community there with people sitting where they previously wouldn’t sit down that end of the beach.

“It has certainly changed things for me because now I’ll go to the hut on a sunny day rather than my back garden.”

The consultation finishes at the end of August and Cllr Booth said if they get planning permission the huts could be there for spring.