GL Cafe in Upper Weston - sign the petition!

I've just been into my favourite cafe in Weston and they have had planning permission refused for use as a cafe. Apparently they opened before permission was granted and the council is insisting that only shops are allowed on the High Street. This seems crazy to me, surely a cafe will attract people to the area. What else is there? A Tesco, a couple of hairdressers, a bedding shop, a grocers...

As a new mum, the GL Cafe is a welcome haven close to home, my husband regularly looks after the baby on Saturday morning while I take an hour off to go out for a coffee and quiet read of the paper.

They have got a petition to sign in the cafe and will be starting an e-petition too. Let's rally round a great local business and keep it as a cafe, not just a takeaway!

This is the problem with Bath, there are too many rules and regulations and red tape so independent traders are disappearing. Yes they should have got permission first but how ridiculous not to allow a cafe on the high street. What a shame!

I live in Larkhall and on our high street there is a cafe, 2 takeaways, butchers, deli, supermarket, fruit and veg shop, post office, hardware store, pet shop, pottery painting, charity shop. Everything you could possibly need and more and its about the same size as weston high street.

I don't live in Weston or know the cafe however, if you posted a link to their petition I'd happily add my name.

Good on you for trying to help & good luck x

I was very interested in your post, businesses need to follow the correct proceedures, there are several shops in weston village where you can get food & drinks/coffee being one of them, that are loosing business due to the GL cafe opening.
we need new shops coming into the area.

Larkhall has a good mixture of shops that what weston should have.
Thats what we should be petitioning about.

Sorry disagree Patsie. A cafe can provide a real hub and heart to a village especially to one where the shops are spread out as in Weston. It can provide a vital meeting place for older people and young mums especially and we don't have any other cafe here any longer. Larkhall and Moorland Road both have cafes. I'd be interested to know which shops are missing out and those that sell coffee to go in Weston. What sort of shops would you hope to see here?

There are three cafes/restaurants, three takeaways and a pub in the Moorland Road area and all seem to run quite happily alongside each other. I agree, a cafe can provide a great meeting place for people of all ages - it is truly ridiculous that the council would not allow a cafe in a high street.

The GL cafe is fab! Have you tried their soup? The staff are friendly, live nearby (I think they have children at WASPS) and always speak highly of the other local businesses. What's not to like?

Interesting to see this post being revived!
I'm a bit puzzled by the negative post about the cafe, it is the only one in the area so I don't see why it would be causing loss of business for anyone else. As far as I know, the only other places doing coffee "to go" are a couple of the general stores and I'd have thought it would be their competition with each other and Tesco that was more of an issue. There's certainly nowhere else in Upper Weston offering comfy sofas and a refuge from the British "summer"

Coco, have you tried the savoury muffins? They're fab. I've been going in every Sat morning for months as my regular time off at a weekend, while my husband plays with my 17-month-old daughter. The staff who run the cafe (Richard and Kate) are now good friends and it looks like GL is here to stay

I agree with Goldberry, the GL Cafe is fab. I love going there and will continue to. Food is great and it's the only place locally that has healthy food options as well.

i dont know what the council is on bout a cafe isnt allowed as at the end of the hight st on the corner by chaplins is already a cafe dt is currently up for sale as it was my cousins dt own but they now own busy bee cafe in moorland road and cant afford to keep both open as weston 1 doesnt attract as many customers so if cafes werent allowed why do my cousins have this cafe and why have there been other cafes in weston high st!!