Owner of The Bombay Cottage in Stamford feels 'squeezed out' by new development
A businessman whose restaurant is being surrounded by new-build homes says he feels it is being ‘squeezed out’ by the development.
Eight three-storey properties have been given planning permission to be built behind and either side of The Bombay Cottage curry house in Scotgate.
And while Habib Rahman says he has no problem with having new neighbours, he is unhappy that he has ended up feeling his restaurant is a problem for them.
“When he first came to see me, the developer told me our air conditioning unit was overhanging, and that our bin was on his land,” said Habib.
Since then, Habib, who has had the restaurant for 27 years, has been contacted by environmental health officials at South Kesteven District Council about the ‘curry smell’ and noise emanating from the air conditioning flue.
Habib said he responded by asking the council for advice in how to solve the issue, and had the air conditioning cleaned and filters replaced, receiving a new hygiene certificate for this work at the end of April.
Habib said: “When they put in plans for the properties, did they not realise we were here?
“We have been here such a long time - we’re part of the furniture in Stamford.
“In 27 years we have never been in trouble with the council, or the police. We are not a problem tenant.”
Habib believes the developer, Stamford businessman Alan Ramm, would rather The Bombay Cottage left its current site so that the new homes would not then be positioned close to a curry house. He added: “I’m not going to suffer in silence. There is a limit to what you can take and I’ve taken enough.”
However, Alan Ramm said he had “no objections to the restaurant being there” and was only concerned that The Bombay Cottage abided by rules that applied because it is in a conservation area, and that elements of the building “needed tidying up”.
He added that this related to the air conditioning and flue on the roof.
“It would have my blessing if they moved the air conditioning,” Mr Ramm said.
According to South Kesteven District Council, The Bombay Cottage has submitted a planning application and accompanying listed building consent application seeking to move two air conditioning extraction units from the side of the building, lower one to the rear, and remove the signage from the front. The applications have not yet been determined so no dates have been set for the work.