A pier cafe's application to expand it's outdoor seating area to tackle anti-social behaviour has been been given the go-ahead

The Pier Cafe on Prince of Wales Pier had applied for listed building consent for alterations and additions including extended outdoor seating area, security railing/gate and ice cream kiosk.

The cafe owners said the changes were needed to combat the "already extremely serious yet sadly still increasing problems of anti-social behaviour on the pier". It said the cafe's side terrace needs to be closed off when the cafe is closed.

The cafe said it wanted to find a less harsh and 'utilitarian' solution to complement the existing the historic setting after receiving feedback on a previously proposed flat steel security fence and railings.

A previous proposal to create raised decking for a seating area has been removed and replaced with removable rope barriers with inset granite stones.

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Those proposals had been opposed by the Historic Environment Planning which said that they would harm the existing setting and character of the listed quay.

However it said the newly submitted plan from the cafe following further consultation with the conservation officer and planning case officer "appear to be far more sensitive to the pier's conservation attributes".

"The architectural design of the new screened area appears also to be more appropriate ' except that it is recommended that the timber boarding is set vertically to match the remainder of the café than the horizontal as shown," it said.

The plan is to divide the area to be secured into smaller sections to reduce the visual impact with a central framed entrance plus side panel to the water's edge with a solid timber clad base with toughened glass panels above. These can be flipped back when the cafe is open so they cannot be seen when people look back from the pier.

The Prince of Wales Pier (incl Quay Walls) is Listed Grade II and was extended 1873 during the Mayorship of William Selley and 1903-1905, the foundation stone laid by HRH the Prince of Wale ' the end of the pier reconstructed 1951.