Swish Chorley restaurant seeks permission for outdoor eating & drinking changes - and wants to add 'pods'
A popular Chorley restaurant does not have the correct permission for a raft of new external eating and drinking areas - and has revealed further changes it wants to make.
Bosses at Retreat in Church Street, Adlington, have made a retropective planning application to Chorley Council for:
- The construction of a new paved seating area
- Installation of glass balustrade and external lighting
- Laying of artificial grass
- Erection of two railway carriage pods and associated decking
- New area of stone chippings and erection of new fence.
New ‘pods’
In additional to the retrospective elements listed above, they also want to make the following changes, which have not been implemented:
- Clearance of existing overgrown scrub land between the existing car park area and the Spinners arms to allow for the installation of an additional section of flagged patio.
- Installation of two Premium PVC Glass ‘Domes’ for eating and drinking. Each ‘Dome’ will be 4.5m in diameter and 2.95m high.
- Removal of existing section of picket fence running from the left of the site entrance up to the boundary line with the Spinners Arms, and the installation of a new solid timber boundary fence incorporating planter boxes.
- Clearance of remaining section of scrubland and installation of decorative gravel to section of land between car park and the Spinners Arms.
In a statement to the council, an agent for the restaurant says: “Retreat Restaurant is well established in the Adlington area of Chorley and is considered as an asset to the local community and surroundings. The outdoor spaces are well used by patrons and are of a high quality. The outdoor offering for eating and drinking has continually improved since the restaurant opened, and this application relates to further already completed and future planned development.
“The works already completed, for which retrospective approval is sort, are considered to enhance the existing site. They are in keeping with the surroundings and will not cause any harm. The proposed elements will enhance the site further without any detriment. Given the low impact nature of the works already completed, and the works proposed the planning authority are requested to grant permission without delay.”
No change in opening hours are proposed as a result of the proposals.
History
The building is Grade II Listed and was originally a church, constructed in 1839 by E Welch. The site previously included a large graveyard, but this has now been exhumed). The site has been used by ‘Retreat Limited’ as restaurant and drinking establishment since 2015, and before that was used an Indian restaurant.