Plans approved for extension at Wells Beach Café

Plans to expand Wells Beach Café - which is next to the beach car park in the popular seaside town - have been approved. 

The café and land are owned by Holkham, which is planning to undertake the works in 2024.

Plans say two full-time jobs and four part-time jobs will be created.

Leigh Hitchcock, general manager at Holkham Enterprises, said: "The work will start in earnest in the new year.

"Naturally, as an estate, we are delighted to receive planning permission to enable us to invest in the Beach Café.

“The Beach Café has a very loyal customer base so it is great to be able to improve operations both for our customers and our team. The extension will enable faster service, and a wider menu and will vastly improve the external look.

“We hope this investment will see the Beach Café continue to develop and meet the needs of our visitors both local and from further afield.”

Under the plans, two sides of the building will be extended, and some sections, including two freezer units, three stock containers and a staff facility, will be incorporated into the main building, rather than sitting behind it in external containers and cabins.

A front corner of the building will become a pizza and ice-cream hut. 

Holkham's application said this had "led to the disjointed operations of the site, with the containers not being reflective of the surroundings".

Wells Beach Café (Image: Google Maps)

The application for the plans said: "The proposal will provide improved facilities, increasing its vibrancy and supporting the café to continue to be an integral part of the Wells offering, without any negative impact on the town centre.

"It will help build a strong, competitive economy, supporting sustainable growth and expansion of all types of business in rural areas while supporting sustainable rural tourism and developments which respect the character of the countryside while providing additional local employment opportunities."