COUNCIL REJECTS BAKER'S PLANS TO BUILD FLATS BECAUSE OF BAKING SMELL

• Simon Reynolds' family have owned A.E. Barrow & Sons Ltd for three generations
• He was not surprised by Swale Borough Council's decision but was disappointed

A baker's profitable plans to erect a block of flats behind his building have been thwarted because tenants may be put off by the smell of baking bread.

Simon Reynolds is the third-generation owner of A.E. Barrow & Sons Ltd, which has stood on Sittingbourne high street for over 90 years.

The businessman from Kent wanted to tear down part of his bakery - which sells delicious cakes, pastries and sandwiches - so he could build six flats. 

But Mr Reynolds has been left feeling frustrated after Swale council pulled the plug on his future plans. 

The borough council decided to reject the plans for several reasons, including that prospective tenants would be 'subjected to odours and disturbance'. 

The prospective site would have covered 3,000 square metres and included two car parking spaces as well as a storage room for bins and bike racks.

There were six two-bedroom apartments planned, with plans for balconies in the flats on the second floor would.

On the third floor, there would have been a single two-bed apartment with a roof terrace and garden

However council documents also argued the flats would have 'poor levels of light, outlook and sense of enclosure'.

It also said the four-storey building would 'fail to respect the historic townscape,' as the part of the building set to be flattened had 'heritage significance'.

The bakery first opened its doors nearly a century ago in 1931 - originally called the Carlton Cafe.

Launched by his grandfather William Barrow, the company was passed to his daughter Jean Reynolds who ran the bakery until 2009 when Mr Reynolds took over.

Although the current owner said he was 'not surprised' by the council's decision, their reasoning had left him 'disappointed'.

'We are now considering our options and are having further talks with the council,' he said.  

'These will dictate whether we will put in our amended plans or whether we will scrap them altogether.

'There are options to invest the money that we put aside for these plans into what we already have.

'Some of the reasons they gave for turning down our plans were disappointing like the ground floor argument that they would be overlooked.

'But aren't all ground floor flats? The other thing was about the smell and noise.

'We have one gentleman who lives in a flat next door and he said he loves smelling bread in the mornings - which is lovely of him. But we will see what will happen.'

Mr Reynolds initially submitted the plans in February and they were later refused on Monday.

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2024-06-28T12:39:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd