Six-month closure of Highcliffe Castle tearooms angers residents

FEARS that Highcliffe Castle tearooms could be shut for good have been denied by BCP Council which promised it was “committed” to keeping them open.

Local residents were dismayed when a sign went up at the popular cafe saying it was closing for six months.

It said was there would be “a full assessment of what new, exciting catering offers we could unlock for this site”.

It added the tearooms would be shut from 25th November “until further notice”.

The confusion sparked an apology from BCP Council, which owns Highcliffe Castle and took over the running of the tearooms in April.

After news of the closure was revealed, many residents took to social media to express their fears that it could be permanent.

The move prompted Highcliffe Residents’ Association (HRA) to write to the council protesting about it.

But in a statement to the A&T, BCP council said: “We apologise for the signage. Our intention was always to close the popular tearooms over the winter while we sought a new operator.

“We are committed to maintaining this service and hope to reopen the tearooms in time for Easter.’’

Mary Reader, from the HRA, told the A&T: “I am angry on behalf of residents, as ratepayers, that a business that brings in around £30,000-40,000 rent per year for the council is going to be shut for so long.

“I am not even sure that a council should be running a business like this. What it needs is a good vendor who knows exactly what they are doing.

“When Christchurch Borough Council took the lease off Sean Kearney who had been running it for 17 years and gave it to a big American company, residents said it was a completely wrong decision – and we’ve been proved right.

“Aramark, who had the lease since 2017, had to hand the keys back in April because they were not making money.

“BCP council have run it through the summer when it is easy to bring in income, but now it’s got to the tougher winter months they have just shut it.”

Mr Kearney, who now runs the Cliffhanger in Highcliffe, said he was “very angry” about the closure.

He said: “The council are going to offer it as a huge wonderful opportunity in the spring to someone, but the truth is it’s not.

“It was when I ran it, but since then the business has been destroyed. It was a very bad decision to give it to Aramark.

“Closing the cafe is wrong but obviously the council have not done a good job at running it.”

Cllr Andy Martin, of opposition party the Christchurch Independents, added: “I think the procurement process needs to be completed in weeks not months.

“A long, drawn-out process will be very damaging.”