East Gate Inn, 6 Harwich Road, COLCHESTER, CO4 3BN

‘The existing use is as a guesthouse and Use Class C1 on the upper floor, The ground floor pub has been non-operational for six years, but serves as an entrance/lobby area for the guesthouse clients.’

Authority: Colchester Borough Council
Appeal type: ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Other minor developments
Inspector: Savage M

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the Council's refusal to grant a lawful development certificate (LDC) is well-founded

What decided it

The cessation of the bar use in 2018 constituted a material change of use, and the subsequent guesthouse-only use had not been continuing for the required 10-year period to be immune from enforcement action.

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