New Costa shop in hot water

A NEW Costa coffee shop in Clifton has been trading without the correct planning permission.

Bristol City Council has warned the franchisees running the cafe in Whiteladies Road they are breaking planning rules.

Richard Leonard, who has been leading a campaign against a Costa shop opening in Gloucester Road
The new Costa store in Whiteladies Road; below, the site of the planned Costa shop in Gloucester Road

The authority is planning to issue an enforcement notice calling for the franchisees, married couple Stuart and Lynn Montgomery, to stop operating outside the terms of the planning permission in place for the property.

The shop, at the junction of Cotham Hill, was previously F. Derbyshire's Newsagents for almost 100 years before it was converted into cafe earlier this year.

Mr and Mrs Montgomery have "retail use" planning permission and are allowed to use the ground floor of the premises as a coffee shop with four chairs, one table and no public toilet. But, according to the council, the couple are breaking the agreement by trading as a coffee shop with between 50 and 60 covers.

It is understood the couple are also planning to open another branch of Costa in Bishopston later this month, despite there being no planning permission in place.

Builders have been working to convert a former employment agency office in The Promenade, Gloucester Road, into the new cafe.

Permission to convert the office into a cafe was refused by a city council planning committee in September because councillors were worried it would be "harmful to the diversity of the local shopping area".

A second similar planning application has now been submitted by the franchisees to the council but a decision has not been made.

Mr Montgomery, who also runs Costa branches in Henleaze and Portishead, refused to comment on the enforcement notice or the work being carried out in Gloucester Road.

Richard Leonard, who organised a petition against the Gloucester Road plans, said independent traders were upset the franchisees were pressing ahead with opening coffee shops without the correct planning permission.

He said: "People are extremely cross. Apart from the fact people don't want them in Gloucester Road, they are blatantly ignoring the wishes of local people and the council."