Bistro My Way (Was The Crafty Wood Shop)

8 January 2020

It’s Open!

I should have known before, but this has been open for some time.

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It already seems popular, and has had very good reviews on TripAdvisor. The menu is below. Note that these pages are quite small, as I am sure they will change and develop over time, as menus tend to do. Click to view each page in a gallery. Here is just one of the reviews: Visiting friends in Highcliffe, they took us to this, recently opened, restaurant. A really lovely intimate atmosphere. The service and meal was excellent. We were told the menu is changed weekly, which is so refreshing from the usual Pub style multi-choice menus which never change ! This is well worth a visit and also would advise pre booking. We’ll certainly be back again.  
Read the background to this below.

12 June

From completed to current! I thought it was a mistake when I read in The Echo today that there was to be a new restaurant here. As you can see below (13 May), it had already been rejected. However, checking on the BCP website, the change of use was actually passed on 4 June. Click the picture below to go to the application and view the documents.

13 May

The item below is taken from this site – Oddments, March – and is now being added to the Planning page. An item in The Echo reminded me! Checking the documents again, it has been refused for the following reason:
In order to benefit from the provisions of Class C of Part 3, Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2015 (as amended), the application premises must be in use as a shop (Class A1), Financial and Professional Service (Class A2), Betting Offices, Pay Day Loan Shop or Casino (Sui Generis). As the lawful use of the premises does not fall within one of these Use Classes, the Prior Notification application fails and Planning Permission is required for the proposed change of use. Reading the above, one thing has struck me: some very strange changes of use WOULD be permitted.
A New Eatery? You may remember the Crafty Wood Shop, an interesting place but which has been closed for a long time now. There is now an application for change of use from Class A1 (shop) to Class A3 (restaurants and cafes). You can see the application here. As you can see from the picture, three would be next to each other. The documents for this application are not very interesting (sorry!) so here is my summary:
  • The aim is for an upscale cafe/restaurant
  • Licensed to serve alcohol with food
  • Open from 10.30am to around 5pm on weekdays Open in the evening no later than 11pm at weekends, and on request for weekday special occasions
  • 24 seats inside and possibly a ‘presentation table’ at the front.