Daily Beef, a burger takeaway in Pembroke town centre, has been ordered to replace its shop front after county planners refused a retrospective application for the unauthorised alterations.
The takeaway's bright red and white signage, featuring a bull's head logo and the words "Daily Beef Gourmet Burger" in bold capital letters, drew criticism from locals and objectors including the town council and a local history society.
Unauthorised Changes Draw Objections
Mr Baksi and Mr Alabtah, acting through planning agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, carried out the changes without permission. The work included a new step onto the highway, an altered frontage and the signage, which the council's planning department said were inappropriate for the area.
Among the objectors were Pembroke town council and registered charity Pembroke and Monkton local history society, which argued the newly decorated takeaway did "clear harm to the character and appearance of Pembroke's conservation area".
Takeaway Defends the Works
A statement for the takeaway said: "Previously the unit was vacant, adding no vitality or viability of the town centre. The building is now occupied as a fast-food retailer offering day and night-time vitality to the street."
The statement added: "This statement aims to demonstrate that the alterations to the unit and shopfront are acceptable and would not cause detrimental harm to conservation area. The alterations represent a sustainable form of development, putting a vacant commercial building back into use and aid in the achievement of social, economic and environmental objectives."
It also said the site's planning history "suggests that the property has been in commercial use for many years", but the lack of records after 2004 "potentially indicates that the building has stood empty for a number of years", and that the works were carried out to "modernise the shopfront, making it fit for purpose".
Planners Refuse the Application
The town council welcomed the property being brought back into use but said the signage was "poor and inappropriate that detracts from the character of the area", citing a 2018 appraisal that said Main Street shopfronts "typically are painted timber, with slender glazing bars".
The history society said it "objects strongly to this retrospective application", arguing the works "have resulted in clear harm to the character and appearance of Pembroke's conservation area and conflict with both statutory duties and adopted planning policy".
It added: "Main Street forms the medieval spine of Pembroke's historic town plan and contains a high concentration of listed buildings. The new frontage disrupts the established rhythm of traditional shopfronts and diminishes the architectural coherence of the conservation area. Retrospective applications must be judged on their merits, and harmful unauthorised works should not be legitimised through approval. Approval would set a damaging precedent for further erosion of Pembroke's historic environment."
County planners refused the application, saying: "The alterations which have been undertaken have removed the traditional and decorative features of the shopfront. As a result, the detailing of the new shop front does not respect the period, style or proportions of the existing building with the colour scheme adding to the detrimental visual impact in this prominent location."
