Plans for a new ice cream kiosk on Burnham’s seafront have been given the go-ahead this week by Sedgemoor District Council despite being earlier rejected by town councillors.
We reported here earlier this year that the Town Council’s Planning Applications Committee had formally objected to the plans by the owner of The Esplanade Fish Bar to site the new ice cream kiosk on his forecourt from March to October.
Town councillors felt the kiosk would be ‘out of keeping’ with the surrounding street scene and would impact the ‘visual amenity’.
However, Sedgemoor District Council’s Development Control Committee this week rejected the points and gave the plans the go-ahead.
Mike Bond, owner of the The Esplanade Fish Bar, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I’m really pleased with the decision. When you consider the changes to the former Custom House building that have taken place here and other development along the seafront, there was no way my plans could be refused.”
“It was a waste of council resources to take it as far as it went, but fortunately Sedgemoor saw sense and shamed the Town Council.”
“We have spent a huge amount of money improving this building from its former use as the Old Customs House, right, and want to continue to improve the facilities.”
He added that he hopes to have the new kiosk installed in around four weeks, in time for the Whitsun break.
At this week’s Sedgemoor’s meeting, of the 11 councillors able to vote on the plans ten were for and one was against.
Pictured: Top, the current fish and chip bar where the proposed ice cream kiosk would be sited and, above, how the former Old Customs House used to look – complete with an ice cream kiosk
