A much-loved restaurant which has been serving the community for 40 years faces an uncertain future after it was forced to take down its marquee.
The Grade II listed Waffle House in St Albans says it is losing more than half of its seating following enforcement action by St Albans District Council.
The restaurant said the order to remove the marquee, which has been in place since 2013, is "devastating".
Director Joe Gaze, whose grandparents opened The Waffle House in 1982, added: "We are a small independent business and as such, simply cannot afford any more challenges in this already volatile market.”
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Operations manager Mark Watson said: "The Watermill building itself is small and can only cater for a small number of our diners, but we have no choice but to remove the marquee or face prosecution.
"We have had a covered, outdoor dining space for 20 years, which has allowed us to welcome many more people."
Mark and Joe have been working for a solution, including trying to have the enforcement order withdrawn, or create an outdoor seating area that is warm and covered, which the council is happy with.
Joe added: "Without an outdoor, covered and heated seating area, we face losing at least 50 per cent of our revenue, which is just not sustainable for the business.”
After posting about the ongoing issue on Facebook this week, the business said it was “overwhelmed by the outpouring of support” from the public.
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The council has indicated it is willing to work with the Waffle House to find a solution that is “appropriate” for this “historic” building and “complies with planning law”.
Strategic director of community and place delivery, Christine Traill, added: “We support our local businesses and have been talking to the Waffle House about a solution to this complex planning issue.
“These discussions continue and we hope we can achieve an outcome that will be welcomed by the owners and their customers while maintaining the appearance of this outstanding Grade II listed building.”
A Government planning inspector upheld the council’s enforcement notice, which was initially served in 2018, following a complaint about the marquee that had been put up without planning permission.
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