AMBITIOUS plans for a new seafront cafe and visitor centre on stilts have been approved.

New Forest National Park Authority has passed the scheme, which is part of a £2.7m transformation programme at Lepe Country Park.

Two years ago the complex suffered almost £100,000 of damage after it was flooded by a ferocious storm that struck the south coast.

The new structure will be built on top of concrete columns to protect it from rising sea levels and tidal storm surges.

The new glass fronted centre, first revealed by the Daily Echo in August, will include a bigger café with a choice of seating for visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the Solent, a family area and new indoor toilets in addition to the existing ones on the beach.

Other works will include:

  • A new family friendly sensory garden at Lepe Point. This wheelchair and pushchair accessible area will include nature ponds, picnic area, wildlife houses and boardwalks overlooking the marshes. Much of this work is being done by the 200-strong Friends of Lepe volunteers.
  •  More equipment in the play area and a wildflower maze to encourage wild play and den building for older children and teenagers.
  • Improved interpretation, signs, maps and trails to highlight the importance of the coastline at Lepe and the best areas to explore the New Forest National Park for families, dog walkers, windsurfers and kayakers.
  • A redesigned beach front car park for improved pedestrian access and better defined parking pays at both the beach front and cliff top car parks.

Work is due to start on site in the new year and be completed during spring 2018.

The country park will stay open as normal throughout this period, and the existing café will remain until its replacement is ready.

All planned works have been approved by Natural England to avoid disturbance to the wildlife.

The county council is contributing £1.85m towards the project, with £850,000 from the Enterprise M3 LEP Local Growth Fund.

Cllr Andrew Gibson, executive member for culture, recreation and countryside, said: “This is excellent news. Lepe Country Park is already popular with visitors, but this investment will improve visitor facilities further still, making more of its natural and historical features, and helping it become more financially self sustaining.

"This is part of a major investment from the county council, which represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform all five of our country parks including Lepe.”

The atrocious weather that struck Lepe and other parts of the Hampshire coast on the night of February 14, 2014 was dubbed the Valentine’s Day Storm.

As reported, couples enjoying a romantic meal at The Marine cafe and restaurant in Milford on Sea had to be evacuated.

The 80mph winds also wrecked 119 beach huts at Milford, resulting in a multi-million-pound replacement scheme due to be implemented next year.