A beer shop and tap room has been granted planning permission for customers to sit on its outside decking.
Lost and Found, in Ditchling Road, Brighton, can use the outside area from 9am to 9pm daily after applying for planning permission from Brighton and Hove City Council in April.
A condition attached to the application allows customers on the premises from 9am to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 9am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
No activity is allowed on the site from 11.30pm to 6.30am from Sunday to Thursday or after midnight at weekends.
A noise management plan submitted as part of the application requires the owner Jon Rutter, 56, to keep a complaints log and to respond to any noise complaints within 24 hours.
No amplified music is permitted outdoors and any music has to go through a noise pollution control system calibrated by an acoustic consultant.
Neighbours sent 18 comments supporting the application by the venue, in Fiveways, which was granted an extension to its alcohol licensing hours last September.
One anonymous supporter, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “Lost and Found Taproom is a much-valued independent business that makes a positive contribution to the Fiveways community.
“The outdoor seating area provides a friendly, relaxed environment where people can enjoy good weather and spend time socialising with friends and neighbours.”
Presumably council gets extra income from leasing outdoor areas as commercial spaces, even though these are supposed to be public pavements.
How much is the Reading Room paying for tripling the size of its commercial enterprise by grabbing all the outside space around it though? Or does the manager think no one will notice in the wilds of east Brighton? That outdoor kitchen and servery and all those unauthorised areas without planning permission are taking the mickey, big time.
Business rates as per the number of seats/covers outside, yes council income. Should be limited to allow a certain pavement area, but they’ll probably take the piss just like others who “own” the pavements.
It’s actually quite a big pavement area, I walk past it often. I think some time ago the width of Hollingbury Terrace was narrowed at the junction with Ditchling Road to allow for it. Now and again they have food vans outside in front of the decked area, and there’s still loads of room to walk by even with heavy footfall.
Depends how much they “take over”