Lounge Bar to Open in Blockbusters Site

(Photo credit: bildungsr0man)

I knew there was something missing from Westbury on Trym village centre. There just aren't enough cafes. The proposed opening of a new one - part of the Lounge group - in the former Blockbusters shop - will thankfully solve the problem.

Until this happy day, if I park my car in the Health Centre car park, I have to walk a whole 20 metres to the first cafe  - the Costa on Westbury Hill. If I don't fancy that, or have forgotten my loyalty card, it's miles across the zebra crossing to Cafe Mundo on the roundabout.

If that's too busy, or the clientele are not quite to my sophisticated taste, I have to walk all the way to Carlton Court to the recently-opened Number 7 Kitchen, in the former Me to You card shop.

The new Lounge Cafe (it's part of the chain that owns Tinto Lounge on Gloucester Road and Deco Lounge on Cotham Hill) will, thankfully, be within stirring distance of Coffee #1 ("friendly, relaxed" blah, blah). So that's that side of Canford Road covered at least.

At the other end of the High Street, though, I've only got The Kingfisher Grill, which, despite being under new management, and offering the best all-day cooked breakfasts in Westbury, cannot possibly match the Lounge's claim to be an
 

"informal, neighbourhood food led cafe/bar open all-day.... offering an extensive brunch menu, a great selection of tapas, & more restaurant-in-style monthly specials."

Nor can the Kingfisher Grill's interiors claim to be

"comfortable, inviting, and a bit eccentric"

 

 

Or to offer

 

"highchairs and a free neighbourhood book swap"

So, that's sorted then. Six cafes within a two minute walk.

Anyone would think Westbury is experiencing an influx of baby boomers.







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Costa Coffee and the Law

Sustainable Redland » Blog Archive » Costa, the law, and local jobs:

This from Sustainable Redland:

Here’s a list of some of the places where Costa has opened without planning permission and has not had to back down; Portishead, Clevedon, Cornwall, Herts, Southend, Thatcham, Crowthorne, Morpeth, Beverley, Cambridge, Barnstaple, Lymington, Havant, Lytham St Annes, Cheltenham, Oxted, Darlington, Glasgow, Trowbridge, Epping, Skipton, Ceredigion, Aberystwyth, Torfaen, Rayleigh…

In fact, in arguing with planners they use this as grounds for why there is no point refusing them permission – they will ignore it.

The issue is of particular significance locally because of the ongoing reality of a Costa Coffee operating in Cotham without planning permission highlighted previously in this blog. I wonder whether if a supermarket chain operated in such an allegedly high-handed manner, there wold not be more of a public outcry.

How would Costa cope with a boycott of its chains in Bristol until it complied with local planning regulations?

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Undercover police in Bristol’s new Costa « Bristol Culture

Undercover police in Bristol’s new Costa « Bristol Culture

A disturbing first-hand account of a plain clothes police officer quizzing a fellow blogger who had taken two photographs of the new Costa cafe on Gloucester Road. Read the story here.

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A Hard Day at the Cafe for Westbury Costa Owner

Westbury on Trym resident Stuart Montgomery has had a challenging start to the working week.  The former soldier was due to open a new Costa Coffee franchise on Gloucester Road today but his efforts were greeted by protesters claiming that the new store does not have planning permission, having had its application refused by Bristol City Council. The Council decision follows the submission of a 3,000-name petition in September by residents and users of Gloucester Road who claimed that the store would damage local independent businesses. Franchise holder Stuart Montgomery, who also runs Costas in Henleaze and Portishead, is appealing against the Council's decision.   

Meanwhile, the Council has served an enforcement notice on Mr Montgomery for another of his Costa outlets on Whiteladies Road. As previously reported on Trym Tales, the Clifton branch has opened without planning permission for a change of use for the building on Cotham Hill. 

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Westbury Businessman Opens Whiteladies Costa Coffee Without Planning Permission

The recently-opened Costa Coffee shop on Whiteladies Road, which has opened without planning permission for a change of use, is owned by Westbury businessman Stuart Montgomery.

Mr Montgomery is a former soldier and also owns the Costa franchises in Portishead and Henleaze.

Earlier this year, Mr Montgomery was invited to become a member of the Leadership Group of the Prince's Trust charity.

The new shop is at the junction with Cotham Hill and was previously Derbyshire's Newsagents before it was converted into cafe.

 

Mr and Mrs Montgomery have "retail use" planning permission, allowing them to use the ground floor as a coffee shop with four chairs and one table. According to the City Council, the couple are breaking the terms of the planning rules by trading as a full-size coffee shop.

Earlier in the summer, Stuart Montgomery was voted Franchisee of the Year by Costa Coffee UK. He was quoted by Franchise News at the time saying that he wanted to open up to sixty additional coffee shops in the future. There are currently around 1200 Costa outlets across the UK.






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