New tapas bar The Duck’s Nuts opens in St Annes – but may be forced to tear down forecourt before business has chance to begin

A new tapas bar serving up cool ciders and home-cooked bites has opened in the heart of St Annes – but may be forced to tear down its outdoor patio before customers have a chance to enjoy it following a row with Fylde Council.
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The Mayor of St Annes, Karen Harrison, cut the red ribbon at the grand opening of The Duck’s Nuts on Park Road today, welcoming customers inside after six weeks of renovation works.

The new bar belongs to Alan Openshaw, 56, a former chef with 35 years of experience cooking up delectable meals in four and five-star hotels. He said: “I spent years making money for other people, and thought it was finally about time I made something for myself. My mother passed away in September last year and it was enough for me to finally do it. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.

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"For 30 years I've wanted to do something like this, but as a chef you don’t really have the time, money or opportunities very often. I finally had a chance and I grabbed it.

Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St AnnesOpening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes
Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes

"The Duck’s Nuts is an Australian term for something that’s wonderful, similar to the bee’s knees. When I decided to go into this venture I wanted a name that was catchy and would make people smile.”

The Duck’s Nuts building was previously the No 10 Ale House, the first micropub on the Fylde coast, which permanently shut down in May.

Unfortunately, the new business is already facing difficulties due to an ongoing row with Fylde Council’s planning department over a 1.2m wooden planter which encloses the front drinking area of the bar.

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Official planning permission was not obtained for the plant-filled structure, which replaced an existing decking area, as Alan says he was reassured by a Fylde Council staff member that it was not needed following phone-calls with them.

Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St AnnesOpening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes
Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes

Alan said: “I was told that the signs were a like for like replacement. That the wooden planters were better than the steel structures that were bolted to the floor. As long as when they were removed, the outside area would be put back to its original condition. I asked specifically about the need for planning permission and he said that therewere already several planter systems outside shops in the street that planning permission would not be necessary.

“It then came as a shock when one hour after the completion of the planters that I received a phone call from Chris Gallagher (planning enforcement officer at Fylde Council) saying that he believed it was an illegal construction.”

Following an inspection, Alan, who lives in St Annes, was informed that the planters were too large and would have to be reduced in size to under 1m in height – which he says will result in the forecourt looking ‘absolutely stupid’ due to the sloping pavement.

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“Because it’s on a large area, there’s quite a big slope from one side to the other, and they want me to cut it down to less than 1m at its highest point. If I do that and then level it off, it will be about 30cm at the lowest point,” he said.

Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes. Pictured is Alan Openshaw.Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes. Pictured is Alan Openshaw.
Opening of The Ducks Nuts in St Annes. Pictured is Alan Openshaw.

The bar and Council remain at a stalement over the issue, as Alan faces the possibility of the £8,000 enclosure being torn down before customers have a chance to sit down inside.

He said: “I have spent a substantial amount of money on the planter forecourt because I wanted to be a responsible liquor licence holder and have a safe and secure outside drinking area for my customers.

"I have spoken to almost every other shop owner in the street everyone of them are very happy with the planters and all believe that it is a benefit to thestreet. I am also stopped daily multiple times by passers by commenting on what a wonderful addition to St Annes, and what a wonderful job we had donein the construction.

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"I have tried to give the planning department several suggestions as to how we can resolve the situation without a long-drawn-out situation with courts and lawyers. But each of my suggestions have been shut down immediately. The Fylde Planning Department have made no attempt to resolve the situation apart from threatening me with enforcement orders and stating that any retrospective planning application would be turned down regardless.”

He added: “I simply don’t think I should have to pay to take something down that everybody loves.

“The public seem to love it, but the planners don’t seem to care about public opinion. The only thing that matters to them is their interpretation of the law. They dont care about what people think, only what they think.”

Coun Karen Harrison, opening the bar, said: “Alan has put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this place and it looks fabulous. I’m sure it’s going to be really successful, and it gives me great pleasure to declare The Duck’s Nuts open.

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"I think Alan has done a fantastic job with the place. It’s colourful, it’s light, it’s comfortable and I think he’s got a great range of drinks as well. To achieve all this in just six weeks is fantastic.”

FYLDE COUNCIL SAID:

"The council’s planning team received several complaints about the erection of this enclosure on the day that construction commenced, and promptly visited the site to offer advice to those responsible about the need for planning permission. The structure that is currently on-site consists of a series of timber planters and so has a very different appearance and is of a more substantial construction than the railing that was previously used to define the forecourt to the premises. As the structures are more than 1m in height, they exceed the permitted development thresholds and so need planning permission.

The planning team have sought to have this matter resolved through discussions with the operator but he has unfortunately declined our advice to reduce the structures to the 1m height. Unless an acceptable solution can be found, the council will, regrettably, need to take more formal action to secure that. The planning service is obviously keen to support new business enterprises in the borough and so will continue to do what it can to assist this operator in finding a solution that is not detrimental to the attractive appearance of St Annes.”

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