A new three-level decked area at Mark Hix’s Oyster & Fish House overlooking the bay
MORE than 4,000 people have pledged their support for celebrity chef Mark Hix, calling for the decked area outside his Lyme Regis restaurant to remain in place.
An online petition has received more than 4,000 signatures in just two days and has made national press headlines, after Lyme Regis Town Council called for the decking outside the Oyster & Fish House in Lister Gardens to be removed by the end of March.
The decision followed months of mixed messages and argument, after a planning application was submitted to make the decking in Lister Gardens a permanent feature, having been given temporary permission during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Hix has described the town council’s decision as “shocking” and said it puts his Oyster & Fish House restaurant in a “very dangerous position”.
The council turned down a proposed rent of £14,500 a year from Mr Hix for the area of land currently occupied by the decking, which was previously an empty piece of grassland.
But councillors opposing the structure said it could set a precedent and the seafront gardens should be kept free of commercialisation.
Town clerk John Wright called for the council to come to a clear decision on the matter and last week members voted to have the decking removed.
But Mr Hix claims the council will now discuss the matter again on February 15, due to the level of support for the petition.
You can sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/save-mark-hix-s-decking
Hix decking: the background
The decked area, which reportedly cost £12,000 to install, was erected with no formal planning permission under relaxed government guidelines on al fresco dining during the coronavirus pandemic.
But some councillors have argued that the three-level wooden deck was a far more permanent structure than they anticipated.
With Mr Hix’s temporary permission for the decking set to expire at the end of March, he requested formal planning permission to retain the structure towards the end of last year.
As landowners, Lyme Regis Town Council asked for a valuation of the land when they first discussed the matter at a Strategy & Finance Committee meeting.
Town clerk John Wright then wrote to Mr Hix saying that the council was “amenable” to his proposal if a suitable price for leasing of the land could be found.
But the town council’s Planning Committee then recommended refusal of the formal planning application, on the grounds of ingress into a public amenity and the detrimental effect on the gardens.
The Lyme Regis Society also objected to the application, saying it would “set a dangerous precedent” in leasing or selling off parts of the gardens, and that there were historic covenants in place that prevented the gardens being used for commercial use.
Dorset Council’s conservation officer also raised an objection to the application and Mr Hix was then advised it would likely be rejected by the planning authority, Dorset Council.
Mr Hix – who had warned that removal of the deck would have a significant detrimental effect on his business and result in the loss of jobs – withdrew the application before the decision was formally made, saying he would no longer support any town council-related events or tourism initiatives due to the lack of support.
He said he planned to submit a new planning application to Dorset Council in 2023.
Lyme Regis Town Council received considerable backlash following the Planning Committee’s recommendation to Dorset Council, and the conflicting views of members resulted in weeks of argument and behind the scenes emails.
Town clerk John Wright ended the year by telling councillors he was “sick to death of being stuck in the middle” of arguments and they had to come to a clear decision on the decking.
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