A popular tourist destination in Althorne has lost its bid for planning permission to add a café to its site, despite already carrying out works for the plans.

The owners of Crouch Ridge Vineyard, on Fambridge Road, hoped to obtain retrospective planning permission for change of use on the site to allow for a café, alongside the existing tasting room and shop.

The application sought retrospective planning permission for an additional area of decking, a kitchen extractor system, two air conditioning units, two gazebos, an external sunshade and supporting poles.

In a letter to planning officers, agent Mark Jackson said: "The internal walls of the building have had some minor alterations to provide a kitchen and dining area of the café."

He added: "The operation of the café has resulted in an increase in staff, equating to six full-time and ten part-time employees.

"The staff are all employed from the local Dengie and Maldon area.

"Further, the company can continue to support other local businesses that service the vineyard.

"The use is linked directly to the visitor centre use and the vineyard itself and cannot take place in one of the district's towns or allocated district-wide employment areas."

He said the visitor centre and café has been "very well-supported by the community" following lockdown and that the café would make a "significant contribution to the local tourist economy".

However, refusing the plans, a planning officer at the district council said "the development is for a café/restaurant, which is classed as a 'town centre use' outside of an existing town, village or located employment area".

The planning officer continued: "It has not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the local planning authority that there is a justifiable and functional need for the activity within this rural location and that it could not have been reasonably located in existing towns, villages or allocated employment areas."

They also raised concerns about noise, the development failing to provide "adequate on-site parking" and its "cluttered appearance" in the rural area.

Althorne Parish Council had also recommended refusal of the plans.

Maldon District Council issued its rejection of the plans yesterday (Thursday, 9 December).