Yet more ups and downs in five-year roller shutter saga |
Now a row over roller shutters on the front of a shop has taken a new turn after council officials battened down the hatches and refused permission to allow the metal barrier to remain.
The shutters were put up by Viktorija Tupko outside her International Food Store on Bungay's Upper Olland Street after she took on the lease of the premises last year.
The previous metal shutter installed on the shop's exterior (Image: Bruno Brown)
She did so without planning permission from East Suffolk Council and an attempt by her to secure retrospective permission, arguing she needed them to protect her stock from thieves, has now been turned down.
Ms Tupko installed the shutter on the Grade-II listed building after taking down a previous set which were defective.
Upper Olland Street c.1900 (Image: East Suffolk Council)
They had been put up in 2021 by previous tenant Mehdi Mohebi, who ran the shop before her.
However, he also did so without first securing planning permission and also failed to get retrospective permission.
Planning documents argued the shutter is only visible when the shop is closed (Image: John Putman)
In her effort to get permission for the shutters, Ms Tupko apologised for installing them without consent and said she was unaware of the earlier chapters in the saga.
But officials ruled against her, saying the change would "negatively impacts on the character" of the building, is "considered to be an unacceptable feature", and could cause "harm" to the character of the structure.
Bungay Town Council recommended refusal and said: "The application demonstrates no significant difference from that which was previously rejected."