Plans for a new restaurant in Burnham-On-Sea town centre have been approved by councillors this week.
The new restaurant has been earmarked for the area above Burnham Indoor Shopping Centre in the High Street.
We recently reported here that Burnham Shopping Centre at 8-8A High Street had submitted a planning application to build a first floor extension which will be used as a licensed restaurant and bar. The shopping centre will remain open on the ground floor.
Town councillors supported the proposals at a meeting in October, but nearby residents expressed their concerns.
The planning application was considered at a meeting of Sedgemoor’s Development Control Committee in Bridgwater on Tuesday (December 10th).
Local property owner Ann Popham and local ward councillor Phil Harvey raised several concerns, including overlooking and a loss of privacy for nearby properties, along with a risk of increased noise – and these were noted by councillors.
Councillors welcomed several changes to the original application, including improved disabled access for those accessing the second-floor bar and restaurant, and also the reduced amount of space to be occupied by the new business.
The plans were unanimously approved by Sedgemoor district councillors during Tuesday’s meeting, however several conditions were placed on the applicant aimed at reducing and monitoring noise levels and ensuring the extraction of food smells is kept to a minimum.
Also, a privacy screen will be required by the rear fire escape to reduce over-looking onto properties.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, the property’s tenant, Satnam Singh, said: “I have been trading in Burnham for 37 years, and over those decades I have not seen as tough conditions as we have experienced in the last seven years.”
”Different food outlets bring people into the town from outside, you only need to look at Wetherspoons. If we don’t diversify and add value to our High Street there will be another big void in Burnham, like the one opposite our store.”
