A TRADER on Prestatyn’s High Street has said she feels “picked on” after being threatened with enforcement action by Denbighshire County Council.
Ceri Midgley, 38, from Rhuddlan, opened clothing shop BoCa last summer, and subsequently installed shutters at the premises “to protect the stock”.
But in late October, Ms Midgley received a letter from a council planning compliance officer regarding an “alleged breach of planning control”.
Ms Midgley said the letter left her feeling “angry and upset,” while Cllr Jon Harland, who represents the Prestatyn Central ward, said the situation “absolutely beggars belief”.
Extracts from the letter read: “Planning permission for the external roller shutters would not be forthcoming if a retrospective application were to be made… because the development conflicts with local and national policy and guidance.
“Although some form of a shutter may be necessary as a requirement for insurance companies, an internal lattice grill or shutter can be deemed acceptable. These options would not require the benefit of planning permission.
“Accordingly, I hereby request you to make amendments to the shop front in order to make it acceptable. Please arrange for the external roller shutters to be removed.
“If you were to choose to ignore this letter, the council would give due consideration to securing the necessary works by serving an enforcement notice. This is a formal course of action which I am sure both parties would prefer to avoid.”
Ms Midgley has responded to the letter already, having been given 14 calendar days to do so.
The former teacher, who took on the premises formerly used as a charity shop for North Clwyd Animal Rescue, said she does not like having the shutters, but considered them a necessary evil.
She added: “I’ve got a lot of stock in there, and when I was redoing the shop, I could see a lot of youths hanging around, and other business owners near me advised me to get shutters.
“I’ve pumped a lot of money into the shop. It’s good-quality clothing and it’s been doing well so far. Innocently, I just didn’t realise I needed planning permission for the shutters.
“I responded to the letter, and was told an officer will come to see me, but I’m yet to hear anything more.
“I don’t like the shutters, but I felt I needed them because I want to keep my space safe. It’s a new business trying to add value to the High Street.
“I feel a bit picked on. It’s upsetting, because I’m a fluent Welsh speaker, I do things bilingually, and I have people coming from all over. It angers me because I’m helping to increase footfall.
“I’m really trying to build something here.”
Cllr Harland said he was left “fuming” about the issue after being told about it by Ms Midgley.
He said he has requested a meeting with the relevant council officers regarding the request for her to remove her shutters, which he called “unreasonable and potentially damaging to a small business”.
The Green Party councillor added: “Businesspeople in Prestatyn High Street are truly amazing people, operating in this environment against mega businesses coining it in nearby and via delivery to the door.
“I cannot, for the life of me, understand why this action is necessary against Ceri, who simply wants to ensure she is not another statistic of retail break-ins in this area.”
A Denbighshire County Council spokesperson said: "Planning permission is required to install roller shutters on the outside of a commercial property.
"In this instance, planning permission has not been sought, and the planning authority will be working with the property owner to seek an appropriate way to regularise the situation.”
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