Littlehampton cafe operators secure new leases with exciting plans for future

Leases have now been re-awarded for Mewsbrook Park café and Edge by the Sea at Norfolk Gardens as well as a third in Bognor Regis.

All of the leases expired in October last year and councillors decided to invite bids from potential operators, instead of renewing automatically.

All three existing operators will stay on.

“The process was very competitive and plenty of interest was shown in these

opportunities,” an Arun District Council spokesperson said.

“Following the assessment process, we are pleased to announce that new leases have been awarded for all four cafés.”

Chace Catering Limited will continue to operate the Mewsbrook Park Café and boating lake, as it has done for the past 11 years, with refurbishment plans in the works.

David Chace said he was ‘delighted’ to get a new 20-year lease, which will allow him to invest in a new café with solar panels, whilst retaining the public toilets.

“We will construct a bigger and better café, to seat up to 44 people indoors,” he said.

“We hope to start work in October 2022 with the new café opening in time for Spring 2023.”

Alice Edgcumbe-Rendle and Charlie Edgcumbe-Rendle will stay on at Edge by the Sea, which they opened during the pandemic, and they plan to refurbish and extend the building.

“We look forward to developing the potential of this iconic seaside building in the coming years,” Mr Edgcumbe-Rendle said.

Both Mr Chace and Mr Edgcumbe-Rendle previously called for the council’s lease process to be changed to give certainty to operators and allow them to invest in their premises for the long-term.

Now both can move forward with their improvement plans.

A new operator has also been selected to take over a fourth location in Bognor Regis.

Andy Cooper, chair of ADC’s Economy Committee, said: “I am delighted that the council has awarded these four café leases across the Arun district – three of which are awarded to existing lease holders who provided imaginative and exciting proposals which enhance each of their existing offers but also add value to each of the parks in which they are located.

Formal planning applications for the new kiosk café and for refurbishments at the existing venues are expected to follow.