The owners of the recently opened Riverside Inn Café in Ross-on-Wye have been dealt a distressing blow: the café may face demolition due to a planning condition breach dating back to the site’s previous ownership.
Charlie Baker and his partner Rebecca Pickup, who also run the Riverside Inn pub, purchased the dilapidated inn in summer 2024. After extensive refurbishment, they opened the modern timber-clad café last October, creating 16 new jobs and supporting local suppliers.
However, the 2020 planning permission for the kiosk included a specific condition requiring a “desk study” to assess potential contamination risks from a former council-managed dump nearby – now transformed into a skate park. Should contamination be detected, a detailed mitigation program was to be submitted.
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The couple commissioned a report to satisfy this condition and submitted it to the council during the summer. Unfortunately, the council deemed the report “not acceptable” because it lacked sufficient detail on how the kiosk’s construction complied with safety standards.
“I have done everything the council asked,” said Mr. Baker. “But I couldn’t add further data to my submission. We are unaware of any contamination, which frankly should be the council’s responsibility to monitor.”
Most troublingly, the council’s enforcement officer has now warned the café may have to close and could face demolition — a threat Mr. Baker describes as “heartbreaking.” Such an outcome would result in immediate job losses and jeopardize the viability of the Riverside Inn itself.
Elissa Swinglehurst, the council’s Cabinet member for Environment, emphasized that the planning safeguards “protect public health and safety,” but added, “We are working closely with the owners to resolve these issues and prefer to avoid enforcement action unless absolutely necessary.”
No formal enforcement notice has yet been issued.
Local councillor Ed O’Driscoll criticized the council’s handling of the matter, calling the situation “unnecessarily distressing” and urging for a more measured approach. He expressed his full support for the Riverside team, calling them “a real asset to the town.”