This looks like a real nice cycle cafe venue. The neighbour & council don't like the MAMIL effect though!
Imagine if it were MTBers meeting there in lurid Enduro colours and maybe a wheelie or two!
The irony is it used to be a pub! Lee who runs it is a really nice guy and he's built that business from scratch - even the refurbishment he did mostly himself. I hope it sorts itself out but alas there's too many people with too much money and not enough to do with their time round there so I reckon he's got an uphill battle.
What a bizarre little country England is.
I doubt this has any legal substance / merit. Unenforceable anyway so more resources wasting by incompetent local council.
The publicity could attract more cyclists there though, looks nice and friendly.
Sounds like the person complaining had friends in the council, the cafe would have a good case to take the council to court for loss of trade due to this, as i doubt the council bans other cafes and venues in a similar way, i.e. bus trips, works events, etc.
Well, now that i know this, if I’m ever in that neck of the woods i know where I’ll be going for a coffee.
I fancy a coffee and a service on my trusty steed.......
we did get on to this a bit in the 'what should a good cafe be like' thread a few days back, but you're right, this is nuts.
CTC have also picked it up, from what i hear and will be looking into the legalities of discriminating against a group in this way.
I particularly like the fact that cyclists can use it but can't start, end or even stop there on a ride. Can we ride past while the owner throws cakes at us? At least we know where Joseph Heller works now.....
What a bizarre country Little England is.
FTFY
Parts of W&M are bizarre, at least in terms of old buffers who think the proximity of a few high-ranking former Germans confers some king of special status on them, their traffic-infested villages and their flagpoles.
I saw it suggested that the neighbour who complained was the bloke who ran the failed pub. He sounds nice, (if it's true)
I hope all the publicity turns this into a positive for him.
they have a point guys. This is the #1 problem we are facing in the UK at the moment.“Parked bicycles are a significant part of the problem.”
This is absolutely ridiculous, it seems to me that we're being polarised into being a persecuted minority group more and more now.
Time for Critical Mass type rides through this village every weekend?
Road.cc love this one, there's about 4 separate stories on their site, a new one being added every time there's some new info or update.
The council had 2 options:
Tell the cafe owner to put up a sign saying "keep the noise down"
Tell the complainant to go away, he lives next to a cafe, there's people coming and going.
But no, they took the 3rd option of going totally overboard with it. I'm astonished their legal department even let that letter out of the door - either the legal department isn't fit for purpose or someone bypassed them - because it's not appropriate or enforceable.
That’s just ridiculous
they have a point guys. This is the #1 problem we are facing in the UK at the moment.
Exactly! I literally can't think of another thing
So it used to be a pub, and now it's a cycle cafe. I know which I'd rather live next door to.
Here we have a hard working chap, who puts in time, energy and money into setting up a small business. Which in turn will bring in money for the local economy. Serving cyclists, walkers and locals with some where to go in the community and this is turned over by one complaining nob head.
I suggest that anyone who lives near that cafe drops their bikes all around the village and walks over for their tea and cake. A few hundred bikes strewn around in inconvenient places should do the trick.
Today we are going to cycle into a village that does want and need us, Whaley Bridge. We shall spend our money were we as cyclists are actually liked.
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<div class="bbp-reply-content">I saw it suggested that the neighbour who complained was the bloke who ran the failed pub. He sounds nice, (if it’s true)
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It's definitely true, its stated in the planning documents online that the complainant is the neighbour who used to own/run it when it was a pub. Obviously got friends in the council.
I was there last weekend a day or two after this all kicked off. The cafe was the busiest I've seen it for a while. I'd imagine that it's going to be rammed there this weekend despite the weather!
The sad little man who's complained will be working flat out taking photo's and notes whenever riders arrive there. I hope it pisses down while he's out there 😁
Sad little man indeed. NIMBY-ism / resentment at its worst.
In fairness the ‘visual effect’ of me hoovering up a rock cake post ride is enough to put anyone off their stride, especially Augustus Windbag (Retd Col.) and his dull wife.
Single complainant huh? Doubt there's anything to stop riders congregating before/during/after rides outside that house instead.
There's been good coverage of this on the road.cc feeds
The original complaint, if true, leading to the planning involvement is actually neither uncommon nor unreasonable. The council have totally gone OTT in response, and I see the head of the council feels the same way.
So, I can organise a group walk from the cafe or a group run but not a group ride? Wow, that's amazing. That would get laughed out of court and the council will have to meet all the costs and pay damages. Who has been giving them legal advice?
The cafe owner cannot stop random people on the Internet arranging to meet at his cafe or stop mid ride at the cafe, it's out of his hands.
Do the council think they can take action against a cafe because customers turn up on bikes?
There are far too many fast food shops near schools they need to deal with first!
What a waste of payers money.
What action can the council take? Remove their licence to sell food? It would still be a bike shop, they couldn't stop them repairing bikes.
Is the neighbour from the house directly behind the old pub? With access through the "car park"? Because that house is up for sale - and this "neighbour dispute" will bring down the selling price!
So, I can organise a group walk from the cafe or a group run but not a group ride? Wow, that’s amazing. That would get laughed out of court and the council will have to meet all the costs and pay damages. Who has been giving them legal advice?
The general consensus is that this won’t survive the court hearing in Nov, but the owner is worried the council will shut him down first.
It does seem like bizarre nimbyism. The local MP will be no help as it’s May.
Is the neighbour from the house directly behind the old pub? With access through the “car park”? Because that house is up for sale – and this “neighbour dispute” will bring down the selling price!
It's already known (it mentions it in the council correspondence somewhere if you can be bothered to look) that the complainant is the same person who once ran that venue as a pub (which failed).
However on Twitter, it's now seeming that the complainant is actually a councillor:
https://twitter.com/simdaggerart/status/1159904878334025730
Which might explain ho they've seemingly bypassed all the usual checks around noise / nuisance complaints and the oversight from the council's own legal team.
This certainly adds a not-unexpected twist to the story if true:
https://twitter.com/Montydo85701767/status/1159800302293409792?s=20
A local counciller apparently lives next to Velolife and one of his colleagues is nearby!
Sorry, not sure how to embed the tweet on here.
Edit: beaten to it!
It should be simple to do a FOIA request on this issue.
If they are councillors then they need to be reported to the council standards officer and it could see them censured or lose their seat
You know, there's not been a decent STW ride out for quite some time.
If they are councillors then they need to be reported to the council standards officer and it could see them censured or lose their seat
It’s alleged one of the two councillors named narrowly avoided disciplinary action on a previous, similar occasion.
It’s alleged one of the two councillors named narrowly avoided disciplinary action on a previous, similar occasion.
Disclosable Pecuniary Interests are very serious within councils and most organisations (certainly Goverment / public sector ones).
Failing to declare them, declaring them but then voting anyway, campaigning for an outcome based on them...
Bet the council is wishing it never started any of this now. A few days ago, when they posted their "letter to the clubs" on Twitter, their replies just went into meltdown. Most council tweets will get a half dozen replies at best, it'll be local interest stuff like a road has been repaired or a new exhibit at the town heritage centre - this one was up to about 800 replies and the poor social media person was just replying with the sme copy/paste answer (which actually didn't answer anything and just made them look even more ridiculous).
I was about to post that there obviously councillors in the village. Seems there is!
Could we take turns to stand outside the complainers window and adjust our bibshorts?
So it used to be a pub, and now it’s a cycle cafe. I know which I’d rather live next door to.
Men of a certain age with skin of a certain (purple) shade think very differently. Bloody cyclists. This is why you'll lose, it's your entitled attitudes! No-one likes you. Grow up and learn to drive.
Etc.
Eng-er-laaaaand! We shall never ever ever ever, ever ever ever...
ever, eveaaaaaaar...
Eveeeer eveeeaahr evaaaaahHHHR! ......
beEEEeeeEEE....eee slaaaaaaaaves! *hic*
(Especially not to you communistic, pampered, pedalling ponces and latte-swilling-lesbianic lycra-louts! Harumph)
and the poor social media person was just replying with the sme copy/paste answer
I am guessing that for every one of those copy/paste answers there was an increasingly desperate email to the legal department asking for a better answer to paste in.
Can we organise a stw motorbike ride to the cafe?
^^was thinking the same. Get the local Harley gang down there.
If the house is for sale, does someone fancy putting in an offensively low offer on account of this dispute?
It's not what you know but who you know...I increasingly distrust my local councillors, unfortunately a lot of them retained their seats so can continue subordinating the needs of the community to their own selfish agendas.
This looks like it could be a great thread to follow.
I'll go and sharpen my pitch fork! I've already bought tee biscuits.
Forget motorbikes. We should organise a truck rally! Get them to sleep over in the cabs. Ten 4 rubber ducky! I love the film convoy, classic.
Before I start googling. Has anyone got a rightmove link to the house for sale?
Mrs TiRed and the boys went there yesterday to show their support. Lovely place and lovely owner. There are plans afoot to possibly crowd source funding for the purchase of the house and convert use to a B&B. Proceeds would then be given to charity.
Early days. I’ll organise a stop there from out club at some point. We already ride there sometimes, but it’s a little close to home for me.
RBWM do not come out of this well do they?
From that Windsor Observer article
The complaint against Cllr Hunt related to a vote of the same panel but in November 2013 when she attended and voted on a planning application to build seven houses in Warren Row Road, Knowl Hill, when she had already declared ownership of property in the vicinity of the application site and therefore a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the matter.
Wondered how they got planning permission at the time to knock down the beautiful old factory building.
I live about 3 miles away and to me this is RBWM coercion because some locals dont like cyclists getting in the way of their range rovers, but they cant stop that which is why they have gone down this route.
There are plans afoot to possibly crowd source funding for the purchase of the house and convert use to a B&B.
Of the seller knows this, it'll help keep the price up.
The property isn't on Rightmove, probably due to the access dispute.
I would hope that a cycling conveyancing solicitor would help with that
"The property isn’t on Rightmove, probably due to the access dispute."
There are only two properties for sale in Warren Row, and one looks exactly like the house behind the ex-pub.
Incredible stuff eh?
All the problems the country has at national and local level and some small minded idiot chooses this as something that needs tackling as a priority.
