Agenda item

Proposed canopies, planters and associated signage to frontage of Kika Beach Club for use within the business premises.

The meeting adjourned 12:35 – 12:45.

Cllr Dickenson and Cllr O’Leary left the meeting at 12:35.

The Development Management Area Manager presented the full planning (P/FUL/2026/03357) and Listed Building Consent (P/LBC/2026/03356) applications, which sought permission for canopies, planters and associated signage. The site location was shown, identifying a group of Grade II listed buildings within the Weymouth Town Centre Conservation Area on the seafront.

Members were advised that the proposal sought to retain outdoor seating areas and erect canopies over them, together with seven planters to the front of the premises, removable canvas infill panels and a 1.4-metre-high timber-clad wall. Elevations were displayed showing the proposed canopies and planters. It was explained that the supporting framework for the canopies would remain in place permanently, whilst the canopies themselves could be retracted when not required. Illustrations were shown depicting both the extended and retracted positions.

Historic street view images from 2009 were presented, showing only tables and chairs in front of the building, with no features obscuring the architectural character of the listed buildings. Further images from 2017 showed the presence of fencing, although this remained relatively low in scale.

It was advised that, planning permission and Listed Building Consent should only be granted where the public benefits outweighed the identified harm to heritage assets. It was considered that the public benefits of the proposal were limited, whilst the canopies, planters and boundary treatments would introduce features that were out of keeping with the character of the listed buildings and the surrounding conservation area.

Members were informed that a late representation had been received on the morning of the meeting from the owner of a local guest house. The representation objected to both applications and argued that the canopies and boundary treatments detracted from the Georgian architecture of the buildings.

The committee voted to extend the meeting beyond three hours.

Ross Fisher spoke in support of the applications, as the agent. He explained that the proposals sought to rationalise the structures currently located outside the premises. He advised that the use of canopies had evolved from the temporary measures introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, when businesses had been encouraged to extend outdoor seating areas. Since that time, there had been a significant shift towards outdoor dining and drinking, with café culture becoming increasingly important to the viability of seafront businesses, particularly in challenging economic conditions.

Officers provided the following responses to members questions:

·       The proposed planters would be constructed with timber.

·       No objection had been made by Weymouth Town Council and Weymouth Civic Society had supported the Listed Building Consent application.

·       The frames would be attached to the building, while the canopies could be withdrawn while not in use.

·       The current structure on site was put in place during Covid when there were special measures to allow for outside seating and these structures were now unauthorised.

·       If the application were to be granted a condition could be included requiring details about the design and materials and for them to be retained thereafter.

It was proposed by Cllr Northam and seconded by Cllr Taylor, to grant planning permission, with an additional condition requiring the height of the timber clad wall to be a maximum of 1m tall. Cllr Northam considered that the economic benefits of the application of supporting a local business outweighed the harm identified, which he considered limited given only the ground floor of the three storey building was obstructed by the proposed structure.

Upon being put to the vote, the proposal to grant planning permission fell.

It was proposed by Cllr Kimber and seconded by Cllr Wheller that the application be refused in line with the officer’s recommendation.

Decision: That the application be refused for the reasons set out in the appendix to these minutes.