Brighton: Superdry plans benches and planters on narrow pavement

Superdry, which owns a store on the corner of Queen’s Road and Dyke Road in Brighton, wants to put eight planters measuring 2.5m in height and the 11 benches on the public pavement.

The company said it simply wants to “elevate” the area.

The benches would cover 58cm of the pavement which currently allows for just four people to walk side-by-side at its narrowest point.

Superdry said it takes “careful consideration” when drawing up plans for its stores.

“The planning application is currently in the proposal stage and we will ensure plans fully comply with the final planning permission,” said a spokeswoman for the brand.

“As with all our stores we take careful consideration of the environments in which we operate. We are aware of certain issues in the surrounding area and will work sensitively to elevate the space and to support the needs of the local community.”

The benches and planters would be placed on the pavement (Image: Google Maps)

Also included in the plans are five new overhead awnings which would project 90cm from the building and a blackout vinyl to cover the stores west window.

The spokeswoman confirmed that the benches and planters will be taken inside the shop during closing hours and awnings wound in.

It comes as Superdry’s CEO, Julian Dunkerton, said in December that Christmas trading was “challenging” and he did not expect things to improve in the short term.

READ MORE: Karen's Diner at Brighton Marina to close after traces of drugs found

The brand reported a £148m loss in the year to April 29 compared to a £22.4m profit the previous year.

Mr Dunkerton told The Guardian at the time: “We have not delivered the sales growth we had hoped for, with results falling well below expectations. This led to challenges with liquidity and the need to shore up our balance sheet.”

Superdry said a summer of poor weather contributed to a lack of sales of its spring/summer line.