A HISTORY of the long-running battle to expand Christchurch library into the adjoining High Street premises occupied by Kelly’s Kitchen.
Created by Echo123 on 06/01/2011
Last updated: 25/02/11 at 15:03
Discussions over when the owners of Kelly's Kitchen will vacate their premises have begun.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8874905.County_council_says_talks_have_begun_over_Kelly_s_vacating/
The owners of Kelly's Kitchen fail in a High Court battle with Dorset County Council.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8791677.Kelly_s_Kitchen_fails_in_court_battle_to_stay_open/
High Court action, which could save Kelly's Kitchen from closure, will take place on January 13.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8770185.Future_of_Kelly_s_Kitchen_now_in_hands_of_High_Court/
WITH Dorset County Council facing a £48.6 million funding shortfall in the wake of the spending cuts, the owners of Kelly’s Kitchen urge councillors to look again at approved plans to expand the library.
Supported by their local MP, Chris Chope, the Kellys write to councillors at Dorset, asking them to reconsider calling a halt to the £2.46m library plans.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8490176.Last_ditch_battle_to_save_Kelly___s_Kitchen/
The Kelly's Kitchen owners write to councillors at Dorset County Council asking them to reconsider proceeding with the expansion plans in light of public spending cuts announcements.
After applying to the High Court for a judicial review of the planning decision, the Kelly’s try to persuade councillors to consider whether the £2million scheme is justified.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8218200.Kelly_s_Kitchen_says_county_can_t_afford_Christchurch_library_extension/
The owners of Kelly's Kitchen are given the green light to take Dorset County Council to the High Court over the decision by the county council to grant itself permission for the extension of the library in August 2009.
Terry and Rose Kelly collected more than 15,000 signatures in support of their campaign against the application to extend the library into their restaurant.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8167768.Judge_tells_Kelly_s_Kitchen__you_can_seek_judicial_review/
The owners of Kelly’s Kitchen in Christchurch prepare themselves for a decision in their High Court challenge against Dorset County Council.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/8155778.Restaurant_waits_on_High_Court_decision/
DORSET County Council says it will be resisting the High Court action launched by the owners of Kelly’s Kitchen against the planning decision for Christchurch library.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4812628.Kelly_s_Kitchen_legal_action__disappointing_/
The owners of Kelly’s Kitchen mount a High Court challenge against Dorset County Council’s decision to grant itself planning permission for a library extension onto Kelly’s Kitchen premises. Proprietors Terry and Rose Kelly seek counsel’s opinion, which says the planning decision was unlawful.
The legal challenge is based upon three grounds which include the council not considering alternative schemes, despite being instructed to do so by its own planning committee, as well as not considering whether the scheme was actually needed with the final reason being that the decision was unreasonable.
This is the second challenge on the issue after the county granted itself permission for the scheme in April 2008, but this was quashed by the High Court on appeal because it did not comply with town and country planning regulations.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4795710.High_Court_bid_over_Kelly___s_Kitchen_plans/
Dorset County Council votes to close Kelly’s Kitchen to make room for a bigger library.
Councillors on the planning committee vote five to two in favour of the application despite 13,000 letters and signatures objecting to the library extension.
The planning committee in Dorchester decides to proceed with their own officers’ recommendation for the £2.46 million expansion.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4535902.Battle_is_over__Kelly___s_Kitchen_must_get_out/
Architects reveal an alternative design that could satisfy the needs of county planners and keep Kelly’s Kitchen open.
After Dorset County Council said there were no viable alternatives to their library expansion plans, Terry Kelly asks RLM Architects to come up with a solution, including using the entirety of the existing building and erecting a two-storey extension into the library garden.
Dorset County Council rejects both options during a review.
Although they accepted that extending into the rear garden would provide them with the space for the expansion, they were not keen on building so close to the listed garden walls, having the extension on two-storeys or removing a number of trees.
But Terry Kelly says he has been informed that these trees can be taken down and says further investigation is now needed into this option.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4516555.Architects_put_forward_option_for_library_bid/
Christchurch council asks county planning officers to go back to the drawing board over plans to extend the library into Kelly's Kitchen.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4514272.Think_again_over_library_plan_says_council/
Council officers say there is no alternative to plans to expand Christchurch’s library by swallowing up Kelly's Kitchen.
Dorset County Council’s head of property management Mike Harries says in a letter that it was an “inescapable fact” that the library was too small for the town’s 40,000 population.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4477341.___No_alternative____but_to_axe_Christchurch_cafe/
CAMPAIGNERS collect 11,000 signatures and letters to save Kelly’s Kitchen.
The proprietors of Kelly’s Kitchen hope the decision made at the crucial Dorset County Council planning committee will ensure that alternative options are looked at regarding the expansion of the neighbouring library.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4464954.Christchurch_restaurant_campaigners_get_11_000_signatures/
Kelly’s Kitchen is given a reprieve when Dorset County Council’s planning committee makes the unanimous decision to defer the proposal to expand Christchurch Library.
The nine county council committee members urged their planning officers to look again at alternatives that could accommodate a library extension without leading to the closure of the café.
Around 50 people make the trip to County Hall in Dorchester for the meeting along with nine representatives speaking on behalf of the restaurant.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4337548.Kelly_s_Kitchen_wins_a_reprieve_in_library_saga/
Christchurch council’s planning committee endorses proposals to expand Christchurch Library into Kelly’s Kitchen.
The committee raises no objection to Dorset County Council’s plans, despite objecting to the proposal last time around.
Cllr Myra Mawbey and Cllr Fred Neale both agreed the eatery, run by Terry and Rose Kelly, could move into alternative premises in the town.
And they agreed with the borough planning officer that the plan to change the frontage of the building was an improvement on the current façade.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4334988.Christchurch_Council_says_unexpected_no_to_Kelly_s_Kitchen/
THE Kelly family fights back against the possibility of closure by creating petitions, banners and a website, as well as encouraging their regulars to write in to express their opposition to the plans.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4242508.Christchurch_restaurant_in_fight_to_survive/
Plans to expand Christchurch library into Kelly's Kitchen are finally submitted.
The owners are determined to fight the new battle and petitions are available to sign in the restaurant. People are encouraged to write letters of objection to the county council in support of the restaurant.
If approved by the county’s planning committee, work on the extension is due to begin late 2009 with funds of just under £2.05 million set aside for the project.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4207312.New_battle_for_Kelly___s/
There are delays to the application that decides the fate of Kelly’s Kitchen due to complications.
Terry and Rose Kelly intend to drum up more support with another petition, encouraging supporters to write letters to the council once the application is officially submitted. The family is keen to refurbish and spruce up the cafe but say they have had to put plans on hold until they have a decision.
And while they agree that Christchurch deserves a more modern library, they say that alternative plans, discarded by the county council, show this is achievable without closing their restaurant.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/4183519.Kelly___s_Kitchen_must_wait_to_learn_its_fate/
The Federation of Small Business throws their weight behind Kelly’s Kitchen just as Dorset County Council confirms its intentions to submit a new application to extend Christchurch library into the popular family restaurant.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/3940262.Business_federation_joins_battle_to_save_restaurant/
The owners of Kelly’s Kitchen are having to wait and watch for the official planning application to be lodged that could force their business to close.
They have already had 12,000 of letters and signatures of support but the fight will need to start officially once the paperwork is lodged.
Campaigners who want the restaurant to stay, say there are options that would allow the library extension and the restaurant to stay put.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/3858063.Final_battle_ahead_to_save_popular_eatery/
Customers of Kelly's Kitchen, Christchurch council and the Chamber of Trade pledge their support to the restaurant owners.
Kelly’s Kitchen could be forced to close its doors if a resubmitted planning application by Dorset County Council to extend the library into the restaurant is approved.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/3837824.Support_for_threatened_restaurant/
The family who run Kelly’s Kitchen vow to fight on after they are given until the end of March 2009 to vacate the restaurant to make way for the extension of Christchurch library.
The county council plans to resubmit its extension plans for the library after owners Terry Kelly and his wife Rose seek a judicial review of a decision to approve similar plans.
The couple will display two alternative plans for the extension of the library, which could leave Kelly’s Kitchen unaffected.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/3829920.Family_s_fight_to_save_Christchurch_restaurant/
Kelly's Kitchen could be saved. The restaurant's solicitor, Lionel Fynn, says Dorset County Council had agreed to throw out the planning consent after it is presented with details of the legal case the owners would be proceeding with.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/2369210.Stay_of_execution_on_cards_for_popular_cafe/
LEADER of Christchurch Borough Council, Cllr Alan Griffiths, expresses her sorrow over closure of Kelly’s Kitchen.
The County Council can now proceed in reclaiming the part of the property leased to the restaurant to provide more space for shelving and disabled access.
They also intend to restore the original façade of the Georgian townhouse, which was lost when part of the building was leased and converted into a restaurant in the 1970s.
Restaurant owner Terry Kelly says they are disappointed but hopes they will find somewhere suitable to relocate to.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/2118128.Leader___s_sorrow_over_closure_of_a__valued__cafe/
Kelly's Kitchen loses its fight for survival after narrowly losing a Dorset Council planning committee vote, despite objections from more than 9,000 people and Christchurch Borough Council.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/2107051.Popular_cafe_will_go_despite_9_000_protests/
THE level of widespread public opposition (3,500 letters, a 7,000-name petition and a formal objection from Christchurch council) leads county councillors to defer their decision in December and again in February when members vote to make a site visit before giving – or denying – themselves planning permission.
The county’s planning committee is yet again recommended to approve the plans to expand Christchurch library into Kelly’s Kitchen.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/2089571.Planning_chiefs_set_to_end_library_saga_/
DORSET County Council's planning committee is recommended to approve a package of internal alterations and single-storey rear extensions to the grade II listed library.
Kelly's Kitchen boss Terry Kelly claims some 10,000 people have objected to the plans.
They are urging county planners to think again and extend the library at the rear to preserve the High Street frontage as a restaurant.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/1885732.Library_expansion_set_to____shelve____restaurant/
Revised plans to expand the Druitt library into Kelly’s Kitchen are drawn up by Dorset County Council.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/1799314.New_threat_to_cafe_in_library_plans_redesign/
PLANS to extend Christchurch library into the adjoining Kelly's Kitchen restaurant premises are brought to book by heritage watchdogs and town hall officers. The borough council's planning control committee is recommended to object to the Dorset library service proposals which generate more than 2,000 objections to the loss of the Kelly’s Kitchen. Concerns are raised over the redesign of the grade listed property and its impact on the surrounding Christchurch conservation area. Dorset County Council, which owns the building and will make the final decision on the plans, says the expansion of the library into the restaurant premises is needed to cater for the 5,000 visitors a week using the library.
A ROW brews after plans are unveiled to expand Christchurch library into the adjoining premises occupied by Kelly’s Kitchen. Customers are canvassed to sign a petition to object to the proposals, which would end the long-established restaurant and family business. County library officials say the extra space is needed to bring the Druitt library - housed in the 19th century former family home of local historian and benefactor Herbert Druitt - up to the standards demanded by a town of the size of modern day Christchurch and its catchment area. The planned internal alterations would provide extra ground floor space for more books, reference materials, computers and study areas and increased room for children's activities. Upper floors are earmarked for meeting rooms and new accommodation for the county council's registration service.
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