Owner is granted 10-year consent for extensions to popular Bath café

Alice Park Café in Bath has been granted retrospective permission to keep the structures which have been erected over recent years at the tea pavilion.

The café at Alice Park on Gloucester Road

The park at Gloucester Road in Lower Swainswick is owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Café leaseholder Tony Hickman, who says he has spent a six-figure sum on growing the business over the last 17 years, put in an application in May for “retrospective regularisation”.

He said that over recent years, a number of “modest additions” had been made to support the café’s continued operation, including a flat-roofed timber-clad office to the rear, a covered outdoor seating / customer area to the front, which allows year-round use of the café, and a storage shed to the side.

The council received three comments of support for the application, saying the café is a community asset, the structures are in keeping with the park and that they provide needed warmth and shelter for customers.

In their report, council planners said: “The development concerned is in keeping with the main building and parkland setting and preserves the significance, character and appearance of this part of the conservation area.

“As the buildings are temporary in nature, consent can only be temporary; as such, a 10-year temporary consent should be granted.

“Further application for temporary consent should be made prior to the expiry of the agreed temporary period, assuming the buildings are in suitable condition for extended consent.”