Crumbs Coffee's plans for permanent Shakerley café rejected

The application was submitted on August 29, last year, by the owner of Crumbs Coffee Company, a mobile trailer café licenced to operate at Shakerley Mere since August 2023.

Crumbs sells a selection of freshly ground coffee; hot, cold and iced drinks; freshly baked cakes from local suppliers; Cheshire Farm ice cream grab-and-go tubs; babycinos; puppacinos; and in the last year, bacon barms after many requests from its customers.

Customers can sit at two small tables and six chairs set out next to the trailer, or walk round the Mere with their drinks.

In a statement submitted in support of their planning application, the owners of Crumbs said trade has been increasing over the last few years, and they would like to expand their offering to include milkshakes, toasties, and sandwiches

This would require having a permanent base at Shakerley Mere, and proposed a timber-clad shipping container as a practical and secure option.

The statement added: “We realised last Easter we needed an increase in space to expand what we offer to customers.

“Larger fridges for milk, cold drinks, ice and ice creams, toastie/panini machine, milkshake blender etc – all of which requires more room and power than can be drawn from our current trailer."

However, planners at Chester West and Chester Council have outright rejected the proposal as ‘unacceptable in principle’ in a decision notice published on Wednesday, May 27.

The notice cited three reasons behind the decision, including it not being a ‘permitted type of development in the countryside, and it does not require a countryside location’.

Planners also said: “Insufficient information has been subtitled to demonstrate the proposed development would not have an adverse impact on protected species, and that it would avoid a net loss of biodiversity or secure measurable net gains for nature.”

Also, while Crumbs statement says no living trees would need to be removed to install and operate the café, CWAC planners said: “Insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate the development will conserve existing trees.”

CWAC’s decision notice concludes: “The local planning authority considers the proposed development is unacceptable in principle.

“It has therefore not been possible to work with the applicant in a positive and proactive way to secure a development which will improve the economic, social, and environmental conditions of the area in line with the National Planning Policy Framework.”