In a devastating blow to their flourishing business, café owners were left shattered when Leeds City Council ordered them to tear down their cherished outdoor seating area.
Married couple Mahan Afghan, 39, and Mohammad Nikoobazoorad, 44, likened the heart-wrenching act to tearing apart their own flesh and blood, after pouring their love and sweat into nurturing Café Espresso in The Avenue, Alwoodley.
Determined, they are now preparing to fight the council's decision. They are prepared to scrap tooth and nail for the business they've called their "child".
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Leeds City Council demanded they take it apart due to the “visual impact” it had on the area and the “increase in noise and traffic” it attracted, with concerns about on-street parking spaces, even though the structure was not located on the road.
Outraged by the decision, Mahan said: “This café is my child. When we took over, it was just a small empty café and it has grown up with us and the support of the people.
“When we were taking down the outdoor area, my husband Mohammad was saying ‘smile for the customers’ but it was too difficult for me. It was an awful day. It’s gone now. Honestly, I couldn’t smile. I was in a mood.”
“It made our café like double-size and many people like to sit outside and enjoy the good weather – we don’t have many sunny days in the UK. And because we had an outdoor heater, many people would still sit outside in winter.”
Mohammad said: “I feel very sad and we’ve really really tried to keep our customers happy and give them the best food and drink.”
The outdoor area was initially set-up in 2020 during the pandemic when establishments had to provide outdoor seating. Last year however, the couple were informed they’d have to apply for planning permission in order to keep it in place. Mahan was mystified by the reason planning-permission was rejected, and says they plan to fight for it to be granted.
Life hasn't been a cakewalk for this tenacious couple, who migrated from Iran in January 2015. Opening Café Espresso in September 2017, they braved countless obstacles to establish a loyal clientele within the community. Overcoming language and cultural barriers was no mean feat, and now, this move by the council threatens to shatter their dreams and undo all their hard work.
Mahan said: “We’ve tried hard, this is not our country and English is not our language so we’ve had to try really hard to connect with the people as foreign people. This food is not our traditional food. Like imagine if you became a chef in France, how difficult would that be?”
Determined to rally support in the Alwoodley community, the couple has garnered an impressive 400 signatures on their petition which they plan to send to council planners.
Leeds City Council is staunch in its stance for the structure to remain down, and have stated why the decision was made. A spokesperson for the council said: “A retrospective application regarding and outdoor canopy structure for a cafe seating area at this premises was rejected by the council in June, 2022. The council’s decision was then upheld by a planning inspector in April 2023 following an appeal by the applicant.
“The council’s original refusal of the application was based on both the visual impact the structure has had on the local area and the resulting increase in noise, traffic and demand for on street parking which has come as a result.
“The council encourages applicants to engage with us and will always endeavour to support and work with local businesses. However, any developments must be balanced with the impact they may have on local communities.”
Do you think the couple should be allowed to re-build the outdoor seating area? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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