In an Instagram post, Hix criticised his local councillors for ‘a total lack of support’ and thanked the 10,000 plus people that had signed a petition to save the wooden structure that allowed him to make use of the space immediately outside his seaside restaurant.
The decking will be taken down by Hix later this week having been erected during the pandemic when the Government temporarily eased regulations to allow the hospitality trade to serve food outdoors.
Hix had hoped to retain the decking permanently, but late last year local council officials opposed the plans as they felt it encroached on the nearby Lister Gardens, which is owned by Lyme Regis Town Council.
The high-profile chef has warned that its removal will have a significant financial impact on his business, and that he may be forced to close the restaurant, putting a number of jobs at risk.
“We fought the battle to the very end, but sadly lost,” Hix’s post reads. “We shall soldier on at Lyme Regis Oyster and Fish House regardless.”
Many other restaurant operators have been badly affected by local councils reversing planning decisions made during the pandemic, including Sam Harrison who was forced to remove a marquee from the terrace outside his Sam’s Riverside restaurant in Hammersmith.
