A SEAFRONT restaurant has been forced to close its outdoor bar.

In the spring, the Oyster Creek Kitchen in Western Esplanade put up the Tiki Bar to the side of the venue, with additional seating.

Fed-up residents have complained about noise and rowdiness ever since.

A retrospective planning application for the wooden structure, outside the locally-listed building in The Leas Conservation area, has now been refused.

Colin Boughton-Smith, 70, who has complained on behalf of Clifton Terrace residents, said: “All the safeguards included in the original development plan have been ignored.

"The Tiki Bar went in in the spring. I got a copy of the lease and it says if they do anything on that site they have to ask the landlord which is the council. A tenant can’t ask for retrospective planning permission. How is it the council didn’t know about this?

“They knew it would take a long time to go through the planning process. They’ve had all that summer trade now.”

The council report says the structure had resulted in unacceptable levels of noise and nuisance to residents in nearby Clifton Terrace.

It stated: “The scale, form, siting and detailed design of the Tiki Bar has resulted in harm to the character, appearance, setting and views of the locally listed landmark building, the wider conservation area, the open space and the seafront generally.

"This harm is significant and not outweighed by any public benefits.”

Mr Broughton-Smith added: “We have put up with music blaring out.

"The establishment has disturbed us for years and this season has been bad. Southend Council should pursue enforcement with planning rules and against the disturbance of the conservation area.

“By contrast, it’s a farce a neighbour has had to apply for planning to cut down a few scrappy trees in their garden.“

Carole Mulroney, councillor for environment and planning, said: “The tenants were told to remove the unauthorised ‘Tiki bar’. It has now gone.”

The 100-seat restaurant opened in the former Leas Sun Shelter following a £500,000 conversion in 2015.

9Owner Antonia Waite, of the Tomassi family and daughter of former council leader Anna Waite, was given a £100,000 from a grant received by Southend Council under a Government scheme to help create jobs. The building is owned by the council, and leased to Ms Waite.