The Echo reports today on a planning application to convert offices in Church Street Rayleigh (near Bellingham Lane) into a restaurant:
ANOTHER new restaurant could be opening in Rayleigh town centre, if plans to convert a 16th-century building are approved.
Rochford District Council is being asked to agree proposals to convert offices in Church Street, near the top of the High Street, into a restaurant.
.
The offices were used by accountants Scott, Temple Wilsher & Co, who moved out recently.
In his application, owner Phil Thomas claims the building is ?not being used to its potential?, as only a third of it is currently rented out.
Agent Bernard Gooding said: ?It?s a very old, timber-framed restaurant, a particularly nice and interesting building.
The complete article is here.
There are actually two applications. One is for change of use to a restaurant – 10/00293/COU – and you can find it here. There would be no external alterations.
The other is an application for “Listed Building Consent” – because it is a Listed Building, given special protection under planning law. The application number for this is 10/00299/LBC and you can find it here.
Surely people are free to open what they wish to. There is a limited demand and eventually the market will be saturated and some will go out of business. Perhaps the staff could become hair dresssers!!
The more the merrier I say. They will all get custom and it will be great not to have to drive to find decent food.
Billericay does not suffer by having lots of eating establishments. Plus it will provide more jobs for the town too.
Surely the town has far too many opticians and hairdressers?
Not only does it have too many opticians and hairdressers, it seems the new one to be taking over is nail bars. I see another one is about to open in the old Thomson holiday shop and one only opened a couple of weeks ago along by Haart. The town needs variety not just more of the same old service type shops.
I don’t think another more modern restaurant would be a problem as Ask is still constantly busy and you can’t get in at weekends and most evenings unless you book. It just shows you there is a demand for this type of eatery.
These things all go in cycles. I remember when I first moved here 30 odd years ago, there were too many shoe shops! If only that was the case now, I’d have an alternative to Clarks or Rayleigh Lanes. I think it’s exciting that so many restaurants want to open in Rayleigh, perhaps that will even out the balance of ages in the town on a Friday and Saturday night.
Another Restaurant can only benefit Rayleigh High Street. Some may complain that there are too many restaurants already in Rayleigh but crucially there are very few restaurants worth visiting. Phil Thomas gets my vote – whatever he decides to do it must be a quality restaurant not another run of the mill Indian or Chinese thank you! A good Steak restaurant or a Thai restaurant would be ideal. Could also do with a decent pub too!! ASK has been a great success and I’m looking forward to sampling the new Mexican restaurant when that opens…soon I hope!