Plan for temporary shisha bar and shawarma grill at East Sussex barber shop

Snipz, at 9 Sutton Park Road in Seaford, has applied to Lewes District Council to change the use of its rear garden.

The proposal for includes a plan for a food preparation unit with a shawarma electric grill, an electric pizza oven, a 2.10m high wooden shelter with a felt covered roof and a seating area.

People can view the application at planningpa.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/online-applications using reference LW/24/0797.

Shisha is form of smoking where the smoke in a variety flavours bubbles through a bowl of water and is inhaled through a hose-style pipe.

The application’s design and access statement said: “There will be no music or audio entertainment available, but ‘shisha’ (non-tobacco) pipes are proposed to be provided. There will be a strict policy of no alcohol or tobacco use allowed on the site but is intended for the quiet enjoyment of users away from the commercial street location. The owner’s intention is for this temporary and seasonal refuge to be for paying customers and will operate in summer months between 1st April and 30th September.”

It said the garden will be open at the same time as the hairdressers (10am to 7pm).

The proposal has received two letters of objection so far. One nearby resident expressed concern about the smell of cooking food and smoke, saying the idea was ‘out of character’ with the area. They said that Hortsley, a development of homes for the elderly, is nearby and has communal gardens and large windows for ventilation.

The resident feels that the application does not take into account ‘the negative impact and distress’ the proposal could have on residents. They expressed concern that the smell from reheating food and smoking could ‘have a harmful effect on the mental and physical well-being of residents’ and ‘create a passive smoking environment’.

The other resident is concerned the use of shisha, electric grill and pizza oven could be a fire hazard with the decking and proposed wooden shelter. They said: “The gathering of people, which this is obviously intended for, would cause noise and light pollution.”

Some of these concerns had been anticipated in the applicant’s design and access statement. It said: “The food preparation equipment suppliers warrant that no mechanical air extraction is required for the proposed electric warming devices and there is no danger of contaminant gases, smoke or carbon dioxide being released. However, for safety, it is proposed that the heating devices will be placed at the open end of the covered area and a small cowl hooded extractor fan will be placed above the heating equipment.”

The statement added that electrical alarm and smoke detectors would be installed and said the owner ‘is prepared to comply with any further recommendations from the Council’s Fire Safety Officer’ and other health or environmental requirements. It also said an emergency fire exit would be clearly marked down the north side passageway, with an emergency safety bar gate opening onto the street.

The statement went on to say: “Shisha smoking involves no tobacco use, therefore posing no risk to health and the environment.”

But the British Heart Foundation has stated on its website: “Shisha can increase your risk of heart and circulatory diseases because it usually contains harmful chemicals.” The charity said: “Even if you use tobacco-free shisha, the smoke still produces harmful levels of toxins.”

The design and access statement said a pre-application advice request (PREAPP/23/0059) was submitted in 2024 and the applicant was told local authorities encourage leisure facilities to diversify the town centre economy. It said: “There are no shisha bar facilities at present in the local area, although several exist in Eastbourne and Brighton.”

The statement concluded: “The businesses on either side of the commercial site are presently also in the catering and takeaway business, and this addition would fit perfectly with the present street scene.”