A Reading burger joint and dessert parlour has applied for planning permission for its outdoor seating area which sparked a feud with its neighbours earlier this year.
In the summer, the owners of Fat Twins and Kaspas, located inside The Granby Tavern at Cemetery Junction in East Reading, built an outdoor seating area for guests to enjoy.
The area is a temporary covered pergola made of wood.
But the construction of the pergola was opposed by its neighbours Smash N Grab, which operates out of a hut immediately next to Fat Twins and Kaspas.
The dispute between the rival takeaways took place in July, with the couple behind Smash N Grab arguing that the pergola was put up without permission.
Recently, the franchisee of Fat Twins and Kaspas, Swiss Bubble Ltd, submitted a retrospective planning application for the outdoor area.
READ MORE: Burger war ignited over new outdoor seating area
The plan has been opposed by Mohammed Farouq Bhatti, the owner of Smash N Grab, which has its own uncovered seating area.
Objecting to the application, Mr Bhatti said: “The newly built construction casts an enormous shadow across my courtyard at the front of 124 London Road blocking the sun from the mid-late afternoon until dusk.
“The timing of the shadow caused by the recently constructed pergola coincides with the opening hours of my business.
“The shadow reduces the appeal of customers wishing to sit in my courtyard.
“By building a huge pergola they have obscured the visibility even more from the road, so we have become less visible.
“We feel this will be detrimental to our business and do not think we will be able to survive. In the 18 months since opening, we have worked very hard to build our humble takeaway.
“We are a new, small, local business trying to grow our presence and we have become completely inconspicuous to any new trade for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.”
Mr Bhatti added that the signs for Fat Twins and Kaspas have not been part of any planning application and therefore should be removed.
He also raised concerns over crime, arguing the extension creates a ‘dead corner’ where criminals can hide, which ‘undermines the quality of life or community cohesion’ of the area.
Outside of his objection, Mr Bhatti pointed out that Smash N Grab is the highest rated burger eatery in Reading according to Google Reviews, with a 4.8/5 score.
Ghazala Latif, from Evesham Road, Caversham, stated customers from Fat Twins throw their rubbish into Smash N Grab area, which means customers at Smash N Grab are unable to sit outside and eat their food in peace.
The two businesses have not resolved the dispute yet.
For their part, Jay Raja, the sister of one of the franchisees Mohammed Raja and an informal adviser to the franchise, argued that lowering the fencing and improving the pergola “compliments their area nicely.”
Mrs Raja said: “It seems extremely unfair they are objecting to an area that one was already there, and two allows the community to enjoy some outdoor seating with a view of the Cemetery Junction Arch.
“We await the council’s advice so we can finally put this to bed and focus on the businesses.”
READ MORE: Fat Twins wins permission to transform letting agents into burger takeaway
Mrs Raja also said the dispute is “a real shame” as the franchisees aim to amicably address any of Mr Bhatti’s concerns.
Google Map imagery from October 2020 shows the previous outdoors area to the right of pre-existing blue bollards.
Additionally, a Kaspas spokesperson said: “Our Reading franchisees, which are a local family, have upgraded an existing patio, a temporary structure, within the limits defined by the property deeds of the Granby Tavern they occupy to bring improvement to the front of the business.
“It seems appropriate at present to await and confide in the judgement of the planning authorities and their advice.”
You can view the application by typing reference 221259 into the council’s planning portal.
No target decision date for the plan has been established yet.
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