A Spalding off-licence has been given a further opportunity to resolve a dispute over work carried on the premises without planning permission.
South Holland District Council is awaiting a fresh planning application for International Food, which operates from the former Station Gates pub in Winsover Road.
Last summer the council gave permission for the temporary removal of a window and wall to enable large freezers to be taken in. But instead of reinstating the window and wall, business owner Zagros Abdullah created a new entrance.
Councillors then threw out a retrospective planning application on the grounds it was “unacceptable harm to the character of a prominent, traditional building”.
Mr Abdullah appealed the decision but the process lapsed when he failed to provide the necessary documentation before the deadline.
This week, Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for planning and chairman of the planning committee, said: “Revised plans from International Food are required to address the reason for refusal from the original designs.
“A new application is expected within a few weeks and the council is expected to make a decision within eight weeks of receipt.
“If a new application is not forthcoming, then the applicant is likely to be subject to enforcement action, requiring compliance with the reasons for our refusal of the original planning application.”
Coun Gambba-Jones admitted to frustration at the situation but said – fortunately for the council – it was very unusual for people to “play the game” like Mr Abdullah. And he vowed that the council would continue to monitor the situation closely and act accordingly.
“All we have tried to do is address the concerns of the community and say we believe that the building looked better in the street scene in its original form than it currently does,” he added.
