A new café planned for the Downs in Bristol would likely be blocked by a 160-year-old Victorian law. The café has been planned for years to replace an old public toilet block off the Circular Road near the Sea Walls and ice cream van.
Last year planning permission was given by Bristol City Council for the café, which would also include replacing the existing toilets with newer, albeit smaller, toilets. But the Downs is protected from development by ancient legislation.
After a recent meeting with the government, it has emerged that the council must apply to Parliament for special permission before the café could be built. This would mean both the House of Commons and the House of Lords debating the café, costing a huge amount of time.
