A WATERSIDE restaurant must dismantle its seating area decking - built without permission - because it blocks the road.
Meze Grill in Sutton Harbour was refused retrospective approval to have a platform seating area outside its grade II listed premises by Plymouth City Council's planning committee and must now take it apart.
The eatery has a temporary licence from the council's highways department to have table and chairs outside but not a permanent structure. Highways say the wooden deck obstructs a vehicle turning area, given the bottom of the two-way road is access-only.
Tom Caylor, a retired chartered surveyor who lives in Dolphin House next door to Meze Grill, said the owner had shown "utter disregard" for the planning process and towards the council in building the platform.
Highways officials wrote to the owner in June asking him to get rid of it by August 20, but he failed to comply, instead seeking permission from the planning department to keep it in place.
Committee members debated yesterday (Thurs 27 Aug) whether there was much difference between a temporary and permanent area.
"It is a bit different to needing to turnaround a two-ton lorry and going into the restaurant and saying, 'Do you mind moving those tables and chairs?'," said Labour's Cllr Jon Taylor.
"With what's there now, you would have to start ripping-up the decking and that would be a bit more unreasonable. I'm supportive of the recommendation to refuse."
Cllrs Sam Davey and Steve Ricketts joined in calling the planning department's reasoning "weak".
"It is pathetic. [The argument] is so weak it is unbelievable," said Tory councillor Mr Ricketts. "It feels like they thought, 'We are unhappy about this, so what can we do to stop it? Everyone who has been driving for a week knows not to drive down there."
Joint chair of the committee, Labour's Cllr Bill Stevens said he felt highways had contradicted itself by approving an outside eating area but then objecting to the decking which occupied the same space.
He told members he felt the city would stifle the growth of the Barbican and the waterfront if it "kept it in historical Bubble Wrap" and failed to let businesses develop.
A letter from the owner was read to the committee in which he argued the decking caused no obstruction to pedestrians, as argued by council highways contractor Amey, given a walkway had never existed.
However, councillors voted against the application nine votes to three, with one abstention, meaning the decking must be removed.
Planing officer Kate Price confirmed the decking was not considered to be damaging in appearance to the listed buildings or cobbles of historical Sutton Harbour.
She said similar decking had been granted when the Boston Tea Party opened recently in Jamaica House in the Barbican.
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