Hove: Paris Wine Bar boss says garden shelter loss could destroy bar

Paris Wine Bar owner Elvis Kiri has been ordered to remove the retractable roof and timber structure by Brighton and Hove City Council after they said its construction contravened listed building control.

But the 38-year-old says the garden space now accounts for 85 per cent of the business and the loss of it could mean the end of the popular Hove establishment.

“Without this outside space we can’t do business,” he said.

“It will put us out of 85 per cent of business.

“It will completely destroy us.”

The bar's retractable roof (Image: Paris Wine Bar)

Mr Kiri invested a “considerable” amount of money into creating the garden shelter in 2021 in a bid to boost business during the pandemic.

He believed he did not need planning permission but was later told by the council that owing to its size he did.

The council rejected Mr Kiri’s application to retain the structure and issued an enforcement notice ordering him to dismantle it in September 2022.

Mr Kiri, who has run the Church Road bar for 13 years, appealed against the decision.

Earlier this year, the planning inspector upheld the council’s enforcement notice and Mr Kiri has until June to get rid of the timber structure and roof.

He has now launched a petition, which has already garnered more than 1,300 signatures, in a bid to save the outdoor space and has urged the council to reconsider its decision and work with him to come to a compromise.

Mr Kiri said customers have been extremely supportive of the campaign to save the shelter.

Without the roof, he said the floor and furnishings in the garden would need to be completely changed at even more expense and that they would only be able to use the garden during bouts of good weather.

He believes he has been treated “unfairly” by the council and said the build is not as big as neighbouring extensions.

“What we’ve done is really small compared to the others,” he said.

“It’s not fair at all.

General manager Emily West said: “It’s been done tastefully, and a lot of money has gone into it to make it look good.

“There’s nowhere else quite like it.

“It’s a bar that’s enjoyed by many in Hove.”

A council spokesman said: “We have served a planning enforcement notice that seeks the removal of the timber structure and retractable canopy from the listed building.

“Our decision to issue this notice has been upheld by the national Planning Inspectorate.

“We have a legal duty to enforce this notice and are in discussion with the owners of the Paris Wine Bar to ensure compliance.

“We have a legal duty to consider all planning applications on their individual merits in a fair and transparent manner.

“We consider all formal planning applications, including pre-applications, in accordance with local and national planning policy regarding the preservation of listed buildings.”