A CITY centre restaurant will be ordered to remove several decorative items on its rooftop terrace in addition to its railings, Colchester Council has confirmed.
The Pavilion Restaurant, in the Grade II listed building Bridge House, became the first venue in Colchester to offer a roof garden when it unveiled it in May 2021.
Owner Elysium Group was granted licencing permission by Colchester Council to open the impressive 3,000sqft venue.
However, The Gazette revealed yesterday 1.2m high black railings surrounding the rooftop terrace were installed without planning permission, and roof strengthening works undertaken without consent, and therefore now must be torn down.
Elysium Group appealed against the decision before it was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.
Inspector Geoff Underwood said the railings “interfere with views of the upper parts of the listed building”.
He also concluded: “The development fails to preserve the Grade II listed building and the character and appearance of the conservation area.”
Colchester Council has since said the whole of the safety balustrade must now be removed as well as decorative items such as planters, umbrellasand artificial trees.
A spokesman said: “The balustrade, which was installed without planning permission, has been joined by planters, umbrellas, and artificial trees, which has further compounded the harm to the building’s significance.
“The inspector concluded that the balustrade interrupts how the listed building is experienced, adding an enclosure to those aspects of the roof and gable that were previously unencumbered in views.
“This diminishes the part of the building’s significance that relates to its visual separation from the modern extension.
“The council has a statutory duty to preserve the special interest of listed buildings, together with their setting and any features