Sadness as fish and chip shop set to be demolished for development

Bambos Charalambous's family has been serving customers since 1990

The owner of a fish and chip shop has expressed his sadness after councillors approved plans to demolish his building for apartments.

Blue Circle Fish Bar, in Front Street, Arnold, Nottinghamshire, and three other units will make way for nine apartments and a business space.

Gedling Borough Council rubberstamped the plans on Wednesday.

Bambos Charalambous, whose family has run the business since 1990, has now thanked his customers after the news.

Bambos Charalambous said it was heartbreaking news

The 51-year-old father-of-15 told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I'd just like to thank all the people in Arnold, the customers who have followed us and supported us.

"I'm going to get in touch with the council to see if they can relocate us and put us somewhere else.

"If they do, they do but if they don't, I don't know what we will do."

Mr Charalambous previously told the BBC: "It's just heartbreaking. It's been hanging over us for a while now and there doesn't feel like we can do anything about it.

"This is a home to me. I've seen things change all around me but I've still stayed here."

'Tremendous sympathy'

In the meeting, the applicant Michael Zucker told councillors two of the other units are vacant.

The fourth is the existing Front Street Cafe, which Mr Zucker says is to try and "sell on the lease or exit their tenancy early" amid economic pressures.

Mr Zucker said parts of the site had been the target of fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Paul Wilkinson added: "I have tremendous sympathy for the existing businesses in this location.

"I've been on a number of occasions to both the chip shop and the cafe, and I would be sorry to see both of those go.

"However, this site is in clear need of redevelopment and what's being put in front of us looks like a very good scheme that will make a big difference to that end of Front Street."