Norwich: Sprowston's Wroxham Road seance cafe to open

Bosses at Astley and Co estate agents in Wroxham Road, Sprowston, have been battling with Sprowston Town Council, Broadland District Council and Norfolk County Council's highways team since submitting plans in May, but now the estate agents will close to open the cafe.

It comes after lengthy discussions between the district council's planning team and the applicant revealed the business would not require planning permission if the estate agents was to close, with 11 public objections and the three council objections making approval unlikely.

Planning officials said that as the cafe came under the same category of use as the estate agent, a change of use would not be required as long as it stuck to a number of conditions.

The busy parade of shops in Wroxham Road where the new cafe will open (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Worries raised that cafe plans could 'open the door to a big chain'

The conditions are that the estate agents business must cease as soon as the cafe opens, it must only serve the food outlined in its planning application such as sausage rolls, baguettes and soup, and that tables and chairs must be set up.

It is thought the business will now apply for an alcohol licence in order to serve drinks at its seances, speed dating, Mexican and Italian nights.

READ MORE: Seance cafe summons the spectre of parking problems as road bosses object to plans

Planning officials said the business initially required permission as it planned to operate both businesses side by side, which would require a change of use to the 'mixed use' category.

Astley and Co has now withdrawn its planning application and is able to open the cafe straight away, with its boss asking for a planning fee refund of £462 which was rejected by the district council.

Council officials are concerned over the cafe's impact on the surrounding roads (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Parking concerns as new cafe is planned for 'nightmare' city suburb road

The decision will surely not please those at the county council's highways team who said the new cafe would "exacerbate parking problems to an unacceptable level" in Wroxham Road.

The town council objected on similar grounds saying issues were "challenging enough as it is", while the district council's environmental health department objected due to fumes being extracted from the rear of the premises.