Traders 'delighted' after pavement fees climbdown

Cafe owners on a Dorset seafront say they are delighted that "excessive" licence charges for alfresco dining are to be slashed.

Eateries on Marine Parade, Lyme Regis, have been paying thousands of pounds to put tables and chairs on the pavement, despite a nationwide cap of £500 for new licences and £350 for renewals.

Following a lengthy dispute between Lyme Regis Town Council and business owners, the town council said it "conceded that Marine Parade remains a highway in its entirety".

It means the nationwide cap applies and all future fees should be paid to Dorset Council, and not the town council.

Largigi cafe had been paying £4,500 a year to Lyme Regis Town Council.

In a Facebook post, owner Larry Gibbons said: "This has been a very long and frustrating battle, and it is disappointing that a sensible and lawful conclusion could not have been reached many months ago.

"Nevertheless, I welcome this confirmation and the clarity it finally provides."

In a statement, Lyme Regis Town Council said it had managed the outdoor seating licences as part of a long-standing agreement with the former Dorset County Council, and with Dorset Council.

It said "in good faith" and in line with the agreement, it had charged a "commercial rate" for outdoor seating on Marine Parade.

It blamed the former Dorset County Council for failing to properly record a restriction on the width of the highway in the 2011 agreement.

Tom Robinson, chef and owner of Tom's Lyme Regis seafood restaurant, said he had been paying £3,500 a year for outside tables and was "pleased" the disagreement had been resolved.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Dorset breakfast show, he said: "It's a step in the right direction.

"There are still questions to ask... The elephant in the room is the refund. These questions will be put to the members, the town clerk and the mayor.

"We want to get past this, iron all the creases out and start trading because it's a lot of energy for something that shouldn't have been allowed to progress this far."

A town council spokesperson said: "The future management of the Marine Parade is the subject of ongoing discussions with Dorset Council and the town council will endeavour to reach a conclusion which is in the best interests of the town as a whole.

"The town council has no statutory responsibility to support local businesses and receives no financial support to do so - business rates are paid to Dorset Council."