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GROVE ROAD business, The Frontier, has regained permission to provide outdoor seating following a successful appeal.
Eastbourne Borough Council’s licensing panel overturned an earlier decision to refuse a pavement licence for the bar, café and vinyl record shop at a hearing on Thursday, September 10.
The business had previously held a pavement licence, which was granted in 2018 and expired in 2020.
Owner Rhyddian Pugh told councillors he had been unaware that the licence had expired, describing the situation as a genuine mistake. He said he only discovered the licence was no longer valid following a recent noise complaint from residents.
An application for a new licence attracted 15 representations raising concerns about noise and antisocial behaviour outside the Grove Road premises.
No objectors attended the hearing, although council officers read out two anonymous statements outlining residents’ concerns.
Mr Pugh argued that some noise should be expected from businesses operating within an area associated with Eastbourne’s night-time economy.
He said: “You have to expect a degree of noise from even the most well-run establishments if you live in an area that is central to the night-time economy, which I maintain Grove Road is.
“This whole thing has been absolutely devastating to us. It has been devastating financially to the business, it has been really devastating to staff, people have had to give up their jobs because we’ve had to cut everyone’s hours.”
The Frontier had originally sought permission to use the pavement seating between 8am and midnight from Monday to Saturday and until 11pm on Sundays. Mr Pugh said the extended hours had been requested to give the business flexibility.
Council officers considered those hours inappropriate and suggested the licence could be approved if outdoor seating ended at 9pm each day. They also proposed reducing the number of seats at each table.
Mr Pugh declined those amendments and instead proposed using the existing seating between 8am and 10pm from Monday to Thursday, until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and between 10am and 9pm on Sundays.
The council did not accept the alternative proposal and initially refused the application.
During the appeal hearing, Mr Pugh confirmed he was willing to accept shorter hours and install a café-style barrier around the seating area.
The licensing panel agreed to grant the pavement licence, allowing outdoor seating between 8am and 10pm seven days a week.
Additional conditions will require a barrier to clearly mark the licensed seating area and staff to monitor customers using it.
The council’s full written decision is expected to be published in the coming days.
