Sovereign Light cafe boss to fight closure

Paul has run the business for eight years but claims it is now under threat because Rother District Council refused planning permission for him to extend the property to include public toilets and washing facilities as required by law.

EU reglations state that businesses which sell food and drink must have public toilets by the end of this year or close down.

Paul has tried three times to have his plans approved and spent 4,500 in the process '“ even though, he says, the building is owned by Rother and he is just a tenant.

He told the Observer his frustration at being told his proposal to build onto the back of the kitchen was not in keeping with the council's ideas on seafront regeneration.

Paul said: "We have had quite a bit of response from the public. Now I have lodged an appeal about the refusal of planning permission which will delay closure a little while longer and we should be able to carry on trading.

"The customers are really up in arms and are starting to write letters. Now it is a matter of waiting and seeing what happens on this. I am willing to do the extension but why wouldn't Rother come and sit with me and talk to me about what they require?"

A council spokesman said: "In January 2006 the Council adopted standards for sanitary accommodation in restaurants and cafes. These standards required thatrestaurants and cafes provide toilets for their customers within three years. Any premises which does not comply by then, may be prosecuted.

"The application was considered by Planning Committee on 14th August.

"The existing structure is poorly designed and it was considered wrong to extend it in a similarly poor design which would perpetuate an inappropriate building on the promenade. Government and local plan policies seek to take opportunities to improve the character and quality of an area. The Planning Committee considered that the current proposal failed to do this.

"It would be possible for toilet provision to be made within the existing building with some internal rearrangement, or by an extension which included an improvement to design of the whole building."