News / Restaurants
Restaurant in a ‘frustrating situation’ following council enforcement
A Cotham restaurant is facing an “impasse” after being issued an enforcement notice to remove their outdoor seating.
Located on Cotham Hill, Bravas faced difficulties in renewing the licenses for their outdoor seating area, which they installed as a way to continue serving during lockdown in 2020.
This year, however, their license was refused on the grounds that the team would need to apply for planning permission to keep the space.
is needed now More than ever
Bravas currently has outdoor seating on both sides of the pedestrianised street
Recently, the Council’s highways department issued an enforcement order to remove the structure, despite the business still awaiting the outcome of their planning application.
Bravas owner Kieran Waite told Bristol24/7: “We wanted to open up a reasonable dialogue and make a rebuttal against any objections, but we can’t do that now because we’ve been enforced on.”
The business was then offered a stay of execution, meaning that highways cannot step in until planning has reached a decision.
Waite explained that, whilst the outstanding planning application retained a sense of hope for the business’ outdoor space, officers in the highways department seem keen to see the structure dismantled as quickly as possible.
“It feels like even if we get the planning permission, we won’t be able to license the space and keep it running,” he said.
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The restaurant has received an enormous amount of support from members of the public, as Bristol24/7 previously covered.
Waite said it’s now just a “stressful waiting game” to see what will happen next.
“We are seeking more clarity from the council about how the process works and why we’re getting conflicting information from different departments,” said Waite to Bristol24/7.
“It keeps changing every day.
“You cannot have two separate departments at loggerheads about how something works.”
In response, Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said to Bristol24/7: “The council will not be taking any action in relation to the Highways Enforcement Notice until a decision on the planning application is made.
“Planning permission and highways enforcement are different processes using different legislation.
“As both apply in this case, I encourage the restaurant owners to work with highways officers, who have reached out to find a solution on many occasions, whilst the planning process takes place to explore the options available.”
The stretch of Cotham Hill was pedestrianised during Covid restrictions in 2020
One of Waite’s major concerns is how the uncertainty surrounding the outdoor seating will affect his staff.
“We’ve got eight people whose jobs depend on this and hospitality has always been tough, but it’s especially tough right now,” said Waite to Bristol24/7.
He explained that, if the seating is taken away, he will have to start proceedings to reallocate staff to other restaurants where possible, or fears they will have to start redundancy consultations.
Waite said: “We wanted to create that permanence because it affects people’s jobs.
“You know, morale’s been shot there. It’s a horrible process.”
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Bravas’ planning permission application is due to be reviewed on November 19.
Until then, Waite said, everything remains “very unclear”.
“What it means is that businesses cannot plan or invest with any amount of certainty.
“There’s an enormous lack of clarity in the process, there’s an enormous lack of confidence in the process.
“It’s bad for jobs, it’s bad for the industry and it’s bad for sustainably employing people.
“We don’t want our staff’s income to be dependent on the rain.”
All photos: Yuliia Lipakova
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