Boujee: Planning permission refused for bright pink canopy

Boujee said it was "very disappointed" and would appeal against the decision

A restaurant part-owned by a Real Housewives of Cheshire star which built a bright pink canopy has been refused planning permission for the structure.

The canopy on Boujee in Chester has been described as "visually and physically overbearing" by heritage officers at Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The council said it caused harm to the city centre's conservation area.

Boujee said it was "very disappointed" and would appeal against the decision.

Venues have been allowed to put up marquees and moveable structures during the Covid pandemic under permitted development rights.

A government consultation on allowing the changes to become permanent was launched in September and closed in November.

Boujee opened in Chester last month and is part-owned by reality TV personality Lystra Adams

Boujee - which opened last month on Pepper Street and is part-owned by reality TV personality Lystra Adams - said it put the canopy up under these rights and has now applied for permission to make it more permanent.

The council's conservation and design team said the structure was "visually and physically overbearing" on the street scene and that views from the city's historic walls were "interrupted" along the street.

As a result, the scheme causes harm to the city centre conservation area, the officers added.

A report to the council by the case officer said "no public benefit" had been shown to overcome the substantial harm to the heritage assets.

"The unsympathetic design, scale, sitting and vivid colour fails to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the City Centre Conservation Area," the report said.

The council said it would aim to work with the developer to resolve the issue

Ritchie Bagnall, operations director of Boujee Restaurant and Bar, said he was "very disappointed" with the decision.

He said the canopy replaced umbrellas used by previous occupiers and provides ventilation to reduce the risk of Covid.

Mr Bagnall said there had been "no dialogue" from the council during the application process.

"No attempt has been made in the regard to either find a mutually acceptable solution or offer some commentary as to what the planning department's position is and why," he said.

"The decision by the council to refuse our planning application is contrary to government guidance regarding outside hospitality and as such we intend to appeal the decision to the planning inspectorate."

Cheshire West and Chester Council said it would aim to work with the developer to resolve the issue, but if it was not willing to address the council's concerns the next stage would be to proceed with formal enforcement action to have it removed.

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