THE owner of a chain of trendy cafe bars has hit out at Christchurch council after a second planning application for a new High Street eatery was refused.

Alex Reilley, managing director of Loungers, which includes Ludo Lounge in Southbourne and Circo Lounge in Westbourne, said they were dismayed and frustrated by the decision to refuse permission for the bar and cafe in the former Superbuys store.

The decision was made under delegated powers and decided by officers rather than the council’s planning committee.

Last year councillors refused Loungers’ first application for the site due to a policy which advises no more than 20 per cent non-retail uses in the town, despite a survey carried out in May last year revealing there was already 25 per cent.

However, Mr Reilley claimed he was advised by the planning department earlier this year to resubmit their application following similar proposals being given the go ahead. He said: “Now we will just have to await the outcome of an appeal.”

Mr Reilley said statements had been submitted for the forthcoming appeal and that they were now waiting for a date for the hearing.

“If it had gone to committee we would have had an opportunity to put our case forward,” he added.

Simon Pritchard from Bookends said: “The area so badly needs something like this.

“We need something new to attract people to this end of the High Street.

“It would look good and replace that awful empty shop, which looks so rundown and awful.”

Nine letters of objection were received with six letters of support for the scheme.

An officers’ report said the proposal was refused due to the loss of the retail unit, which would have a detrimental impact on the retail mix in the town centre.