A bid to change opening hours at a Climping Cafe run by two social media personalities was refused on Thursday 28 April because it would ‘disturb a nearby resident’.
Social Media stars The Bald Builders wanted to change the opening hours at their venue ‘The Bald Kitchen’. The café and drive-thru is allowed to open from 8am until 2pm on Sundays but the pair wanted to open until 4pm instead.
Because planning permission was conditional on the 8 til 2 opening hours, the pair had to ask Arun District Council’s Planning Committee for permission.
This would have technically allowed the café to open from 8am until 4pm on Sundays. But the pair, aka Brad Hanson, from Littlehampton, and Sam Hughes, from Bognor Regis, explained that they did not intend to open for longer, and wanted to open between 10am and 4pm instead.
They said this would help save on energy costs during the darker, cooler winter months and would help them avoid ‘turning customers away’ at 2pm on Sundays.
The change was first discussed in March, when councillors sought to turn it down.
But Arun District Council said that ‘voting was undertaken incorrectly’ and the application was considered again last week.
The Planning Committee turned it down as they believed it could cause an ‘unacceptable’ disturbance to the resident of a nearby cottage who claims she is ‘severely impacted’ by ‘operating noise, light pollution and strong cooking odours’.
Locals criticised a car meet which was held at the Bald Kitchen from 8am in protest at the council’s decision. One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The police deployed two cars and a van to attend a recent event at their café.
“Locals have never been against a café at this site. We did however, want it to be a business in keeping with the area and objected to Arun [District] Council spending council taxpayers money to combat obesity whilst the planning department approved a burger bar and drive-thru close to a primary school.”
In a statement, Sussex Police said officers were at the event in March to help with traffic management and they confirmed that no arrests were made.
More details can be found at the planning portal using reference: CM/68/21/PL.
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