Caffe Nero - Oh, the Shame of It

The local papers have enjoyed running a story about a big coffee-shop chain running roughshod over the planning authorities in Petersfield. At first sight it looked just the sort of issue I could have a grumble about. I could happily rant on about the awfulness of big corporates when they can take the law into their own hands and apply both change-of-use and physical changes to one of the towns oldest shops without proper permission or consultation. After all I am no friend of large corporate retail chains and will pour damnation on KFC and McDonalds, or Boots and Dixons for just about any reason.

But then I recalled the problems I had encountered when trying to get three individual shops converted into a single larger shop in London's Sicilian Avenue. I remembered the English Heritage "blockade" tactics (if it changes something, we'll oppose it - regardless of the reasons for the proposal which we won't even bother to consider).

Careful scrutiny of the newspapers revealed that Caffe Nero had in fact been in lengthy consulations with the planners, knew that there was every chance of permission being granted, and had taken a measured risk to proceed with the work rather than lose more and more potential custom. Well done them. I even like their coffee.

I had to wait 18 months and endure an appeal to the then Department of the Environment before I could "touch a brick"; but then I was a small business and couldn't afford to complain or to risk the wrath and condemnation of Camden Council. Poor me!

Anyway the local planning authorities have much bigger eggs to fry with the A3 "tunnel" to cut out the Devil's Punchbowl and the Hindhead traffic lights. I'm sure I'll be ranting about that in the fullness of time.