A third bid to allow a café to stay open in Shelton has come forward after two other retrospective applications were rejected by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Coffee and Chai, located next to Chico's Peri Grill at Howard Place, has been "welcomed" since it opened more than three years ago, with customers including college students and taxi drivers, a statement submitted to the council said.

But two previous attempts to secure retrospective planning permission were turned down last year and earlier this year. The last application sought temporary consent for five years but was refused because of road safety concerns and its location as a takeaway outside of a town centre.

A fresh proposal has now come forward seeking temporary permission for three years, as well as widening of the vehicle access at Pyenest Street. A planning statement submitted as part of the latest application said this would give the applicant time to "potentially submit a more sympathetic and permanent building of high quality design or redevelop the site in connection with the council's redevelopment strategy,"

The café says it has been 'welcomed' since it opened more than three years ago (Google).

It added: "The applicant originally proposed to retain the unauthorised development as an ancillary building associated with Chico's Peri Grill hot food restaurant under a permanent consent. The case officer considered the proposal to be unacceptable with regard to the principle of the development, visual amenity and highway safety, subsequently, the application was refused.

"The applicant recognises the implications under the original permission for permanent consent, however, due to commercial success, the applicant has requested temporary consent for three years. The consent of a standalone modest scale coffee shop for three years will provide sufficient time for the applicant to consider the site's future prospects that is dependent upon the future redevelopment within the immediate setting.

"The applicant sees the premises as an opportunity to consider its options in relation to the council's wider regeneration scheme immediately to the north and east of the site. The clear sites bring no revenue to the council nor benefit of the public, whereas the retrospective building does.

"Its main customer cohorts are students at Stoke College, located less than 100 yards from the building, taxi drivers working in the city centre and members of the public on the way to town. The premise has been welcomed since its opening in April 2021."

------------

READ MORE: TSB to close one Stoke-on-Trent branch this week

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stoke Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our city.

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter email HERE - just click the 'SIGN UP' button.

Please consider following Stoke Nub News on Facebook or Twitter.