OLD LEIGH: Cafe plan gets go-ahead, despite concerns
Monday August 16 2010 - Last Updated at 10:54
A controversial plan to demolish a cockle stall in Old Leigh and replace it with an outdoor cafe, has been given the green light by councillors.
The East Anglia Pub Company – which owns the Peter Boat pub – applied to Southend Council to demolish the Ivy Osborne shed and replace it with a new 16-seater shellfish cafe in the grounds of their car park.
There were several objections from Leigh Town Council, preservation group the Leigh Society and Saxon King in Priory Park protest group (SKIPP).
They voiced concerns over the loss of an iconic business, whilst worries mounted about the strain on parking and the saturation of cafes in the area.
In a statement SKIPP’s Mark Sharp said:
“…true to form Southend Borough Council are set to ignore the wishes of the people by approving the demolition and redevelopment, regardless of Leigh Town Council’s objections. Once again it is made clear, Southend Council does not care what we the public think. The only opinion that matters is ‘theirs’.”
But councillors who voted in favour of the cafe plan say that’s not the case and the cafe would have a positive impact on the area.
The cafe can only operate between 9am-9.30pm Monday to Sunday and there will be a series of restrictions on delivery times.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK OLD LEIGH NEEDS A NEW CAFE? OR ARE YOU UPSET AT THE PLANS? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW
It’s a shed sea where they sell dea food from but where can ypou sit to eat it, the new facility will still sell sea food but give people somewhere to sit and eat whats the problem with that…
Slightly off topic (hope you don’t mind) when the last tree was removed from Vic Circus it was done in the early hours to stop protesters invading the site and setting up another protest camp which I believe the council were right to do.
The protest group Skipp complained about the action that was taken at that time of day as unfair and that the murder took place without warning, under the cover of the night.
So when did whoever done it tie the yellow ribbons and signs around the trees on the Queensway central reservation and the small green area at the junction of Boston Avenue/Queensway. I bet whoever done it went out at night so that they were not seen.
It really makes the town look messy, so much for being caring for the environment how bio-degradable is the ribbon, the signs are laminated do you know how long it takes to break down once it enters landfill.
Hopefully they will be taken down by the council just as quick as they were put up, but then again we will probably get the moaning about that!
So cross they have been granted permission, on a selfish note we are from the scouts based at the Coal Hole and do a lot of fundraising bbq and cake sales in the summer months to help fund boating activities and boat maintenace for the children. A lot of our support comes from customers sitting in the Peterboat, and people passing through Old Leigh. Now because of this shed being built their view of us and vice versa will be completely blocked and therefore have a considerably detrimental effect on raising much needed funds for the children of the community involved in Scouting.
If it was a historic hut then maybe. But it’s a fairly modern shed.
Why dies SKIPP not change it’s name to ‘ Stand in the way of progress snd nothing to do but criticise anything SBC do despite the councillors retaining their seats committee’ .
This not the way forward it has worked like this for years and will spoil Old Leigh the atmosphere will be taken away by more traffic…………Why cant they leave things alone that work………….
Keep the Skipp name but change what it stands for to…
Southend
Kainotophobias
In
Poor
Protest
(Kainotophobia = fear of change)
I do not recall seeing any planning applications posted nearby. Just another example of the corporate take over of Old Leigh, putting company’s profits above all else – to hell with the local population’s enjoyment of the traditional feel of old town.
Not content with cutting down trees willy nilly on two schemes that are unlikely to improve traffic flow and turning Southend Seafront into a building site, they now turn their attention to Old Leigh. Cockle stalls are an integral part of the character of Old Leigh and knocking the one down outside the Peter Boat is the thin end of the wedge. Does the council really think that a seafood cafe will have the same charm, as I suspect people outside of Leigh that often visit will not! I always thought that the Council was there to look after the interests of the residents, not to pander to the wishes of large companies and force us to put up with it – what on earth are we paying them for?
Lets see, Old Leigh – OLD being the operative word. When i think of Old Leigh i think of the crazy little shops you don’t find anywhere else, the old pubs that have been around for forever, and the little sheds that sell seafood. Old Leigh has an image of an old, quiet town that people can enjoy for being what it is. now the shops are closing down or being replaced and things are getting modernised and up rooted, soon nothings going to be left of Old Leigh that makes it what it is.
If you want to see (what I suspect is) how most people view SKIPP, then look at their Facebook page. Fated Snowfox I salute you!