Title: The Saga of A Hotel Closed Due to Planning Rule Continues
Introduction:
A hotel in Cardiff, named CFeleven, has been put up for sale after its bar was forced to close down due to a planning rule that stated the bar could only serve hotel residents. The owner, Jason Hamer, refused a £1.34 million offer for the property. Despite receiving six bids during an auction, the reserve price was not met. Hamer is considering marketing the property differently or listing it with a real estate agency soon.
Exploring the Issue: A Hotel Turned Luxury Gin Bar
Six years ago, Hamer transformed the traditional B&B into a luxury gin bar, attracting popularity among locals and visitors to Cardiff. However, a planning officer from the Cardiff council discovered an old planning condition stating that the bar could only serve hotel residents. As a result, the bar had to shut down in January, leading to the loss of five jobs.
A Bid Rejected, and Future Prospects
Following the closure of the bar, the property was put up for auction with a reference price of £1.25 million. Although six bids were placed, the highest offer of £1.34 million was rejected as it did not meet the reserve price. Hamer is uncertain if there will be another auction and is considering alternative marketing strategies. Until the property is sold, it will continue to operate solely as a bed and breakfast.
Potential Opportunities and Challenges for Buyers
The listing highlighted the property’s historic nature and location in Pontcanna, citing its original composition of two single-family homes. Prospective buyers have the option to run the property as a hotel or seek planning permission for apartment redevelopment or restoring the original two houses. The ground floor is still equipped as a bar and restaurant, featuring bifold doors that open onto a large rear garden.
The Regulatory Dilemma: Planning vs Licensing
Hamer was unaware of the planning condition until 2021 when an environmental health officer raised the issue. Despite implementing measures to address noise concerns, the appeal to remove the planning condition was rejected due to potential “unacceptable harm.” The Cardiff City Council spokesperson insisted that the council’s actions were in line with all relevant legislation for both licensing and planning.
Conclusion:
The CFeleven property in Cardiff continues to face challenges as its bar was closed down due to a decades-old planning rule. Despite attracting bids during an auction, the reserve price was not met, leading the owner to consider alternative marketing strategies. Prospective buyers can explore various options for the property, including running it as a hotel or seeking redevelopment opportunities. The regulatory dilemma between planning and licensing has contributed to the complications faced by the property’s owner.
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A hotel that had to close its bar due to a decades-old planning rule is now up for sale. Owner Jason Hamer has turned down a £1.34m offer for the CFeleven bed and breakfast in Cardiff.
Six years ago, Hamer opened a luxury gin bar on the ground floor of the Cathedral Road site after running for some 40 years as a simple B&B. He obtained an alcohol license and the bar became popular, but it had to close in January after a cardiff council The officer reportedly trawled through decades of files and discovered that the B&B was originally approved on the basis that its bar would only be open to “hotel residents.” Can read more about that saga here.
Hamer, who at the time said the “ridiculous” situation had cost five employees their jobs, closed the bar but continued to run the site as a B&B. Last month the property, which has 10 bedrooms, went up for auction with a reference price of £1.25m. Six bids were placed in a bidding war, but the final offer of £1.34 million was rejected.
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The owner told WalesOnline the reserve price, the minimum amount a property is allowed to sell for at auction, has not been met. According to auctioneer Seel & Co, the reserve price was within 10% of the reference price, which would put it at up to £1.375m.
Asked if there would be another auction, Hamer said: “I don’t know. I could market it in a different way… Until someone buys it, it’s a bed and breakfast. We’re not a bar anymore.” He added that the property is likely to be listed by a real estate agency soon.
The auction listing had described the site as a “historic property in the heart of Pontcanna”, originally two single-family homes. He continued: “They have been connected on the ground floor only and the original entrances still exist should the buyer wish to convert them back into two properties (subject to consent). The houses themselves have been upgraded and well maintained by the current owner. and operated until recently as a successful bar, restaurant and hotel.
seel and company list He said a buyer would have the options of running the property as a hotel or applying for planning permission for a “redevelopment of apartments or the original two houses.” The ground floor is still designed as a bar and restaurant with bi-fold doors opening onto the ‘extensive’ rear garden.
Mr Hamer, who owned the site for 16 years, told WalesOnline last year: “As far as we knew, there were no problems with the planning. During Covid we had an increase in people drinking in the garden and there were some complaints about noise , the environmental health department of the city council did a sound check and we were not a noise nuisance or anything.
“Then one of the environmental health people said he wanted to see all the planning conditions. He was the one who fired the gun. He asked the planning department to check the conditions going back decades. They went through the microfiche files and found a condition in the 1980s saying we could sell alcohol but only to hotel guests.
Hamer, 58, was made aware of the problem in 2021 and unsuccessfully petitioned the council to remove the condition. He then spent around £16,000 appealing against the council’s decision. The planning officer rejected the appeal after determining that removing the planning condition would cause “unacceptable harm.” They acknowledged that the company had implemented some measures to reduce noise levels, such as screening the beer garden and reducing weekday opening hours, but this did not overcome “noise and disturbance” concerns.
A Cardiff City Council spokesperson said at the time: “CFeleven is a bed and breakfast business and not a public house. Any businessman or promoter must verify all the regulatory aspects related to his property and its use, and whether or not he has the necessary consents for the use that is being given to him.
“Planning and licensing are completely different functions. They are determined through different processes and under different legislation. License applications for this business were received in February 2017 to sell alcohol in the guest house with revisions filed in August 2018 to try to alleviate some of the conditions that were originally imposed.
“Despite a significant number of objections from local residents, the results of both applications were favorable to the business owner. Aside from the license issue, a planning condition related to the original planning permission for the hotel/guest house states that the bar and restaurant facilities may only be used by persons staying on the property.
“Everything the council has done is in line with all relevant legislation both in terms of licensing and planning. The decisions to reject all retrospective planning applications submitted by the business owner have also been confirmed by the Inspector of planning in welsh government.”
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https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/businessman-who-shut-bar-over-27121246.amp
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