Published: March 22, 2007
Burnham-On-Sea pub's terrace plan rejected by planners

A Burnham seafront pub's bid to get retrospective planning permission for a wooden decked terrace outside its premises has this week been turned down by planners.

We recently reported how Chaplins on The Esplanade had spent more than £5,000 on building the new extension in order to allow customers to legally smoke outside the premises after the introduction of July's smoking ban. The scheme included a 12mm-thick glass screen around the wooden decking area, plus a canopy.

But owner Colin Spence, pictured above, did not have full planning permission for the structure and had to apply for retrospective permission from Sedgemoor planners to keep it in place.

This week, a Sedgemoor planning spokesman told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "It would have resulted in greater noise and disturbance, particularly late at night, and would afford more elevated views into the bay window of the adjacent ground floor flat at close distances. It would also be contrary to the Sedgemoor District Local Plan."

Conservation issues also played a part in the decision, according to the council.

"The application site lies in a prominent corner location, clearly facing the Esplanade, which is the most important hard landscape feature in the Burnham Conservation Area and, as such, the quality of the Esplanade as a public space should be preserved or enhanced," explained the spokesman.

"The seafront premises historically have been rendered and enclosed by low rendered walls, painted white or cream."

"The unauthorized works bare no relationship in materials or build form to the building to which it is attached, the street scene, or the historic and architectural setting of the protected area."

"The building works represent an alien and discordant feature which would have a detrimental effect to the character and historic appearance of the Burnham-On-Sea Conservation Area and seafront."