Trellis permission refused

Wednesday 08 May 2024

Retrospective planning permission for wooden trellising around a coastal tea garden has been refused because it is "intrusive" and causes "unacceptable adverse impacts on the character of the area".

The tenants of the Renoir Tea Garden at Moulin Huet have six months to appeal the decision but if either they decide not to appeal, or the appeal is refused, they will have to take down the wooden structure surrounding the business.

The planning application had included a request for retrospective permission for a shed built to the west (rear) of the existing tearoom, four timber covered seating structures in the lower garden area, the trellis fence, and two gated archways in to the tea garden. 

The trellis runs along the boundary of the tea garden which is adjacent to the public footpath, with the archways leading in via two pedestrian access points.

Pictured: The fencing lines the perimeter of the tea garden. 

The Development and Planning Authority said its decision to refuse retrospective planning permission was based on three key issues: the design of the development, the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the area, and the impact of the development on the Site of Special Significance.

Moulin Huet is considered a Site of Special Significance because of its links with the famed artist Pierre Auguste Renoir, who holidayed in the area and produced many paintings of the area, as well as its natural beauty. 

The DPA decided that the path-side trellising and arches over the gateways are considered to be intrusive within the landscape, when considered in the context of the area's historic links with Renoir, and the area's visual appeal. 

The DPA said the fencing "detracts from the view, and is considered to be a detrimental addition both in terms of design and visual amenity to the premises". It also said that "the arches over the solid gates are considered to be excessive in height and scale contributing to the detrimental impact of the development on the visual amenity and natural beauty of the area".

Pictured: The view up to the tea room from the public path down to Moulin Huet. 

The States Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services (ACLMS) team was consulted as part of the decision making process, and it disagreed with the DPA's point of view, saying "the proposals, therefore, are unlikely to cause any significant impact on the special interest of the SSS".

The applicant had believed that fencing is required as part of the tea room's liquor licence requirements, but the DPA said "this is not the case. The omission of the fencing would therefore have no impact on the operation and provisions offered by the business".

The timber shed to the rear of the tea rooms and the four timber picnic tables in the tea garden itself were considered ok, but the DPA concluded that "the trellising is considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact on the character of the area, it does not respect the surrounding landscape and the design is not considered to be appropriate for this area. Therefore the recommendation of this application is one of refusal."