A top TripAdvisor chef who plans on opening a Middle Eastern restaurant in Milford Haven town centre has had his plans curdled by the local planning authority.
Because the restaurant proposed by Orhan Barlas lies 800 metres outside the town centre development boundary which was instigated by the Welsh government’s ‘Town Centre First’ policy, his application to open a 12-seater restaurant in Mansfield Street has been rejected.
“It’s extremely disappointing and frustrating as we’ve spent a great deal of time preparing for this application and have had some tremendous support from the likes of Stephen Crabb as well as our town and county councillors,” explained his wife, Jennifer.
“ But not once were we given the opportunity to discuss the issue with the Pembrokeshire planning department, despite our proposed restaurant being just 800 metres outside the town centre policy boundary.”
Orhan and Jennifer viewed numerous properties, either to buy or rent, which lay inside the Milford Haven town centre area, however none of them met the criteria required for a commercial restaurant.
The property they eventually bought in Mansfield Street had lain empty for several years but its style, size and potential were perfect for development. The couple also discovered that the building had previously operated as an Italian restaurant.
“Ohran’s concept is to have a wood-fired oven in the centre of the room, which will be the main source of cooking and up to 12 guests will be seated around the oven in an open plan setting," explained Jennifer.
" And they will see Orhan cooking and serving each dish freshly in front of them.”
Orhan has designed his business idea around traditional Middle Eastern cooking methods, taught to him and passed down through generations of his family.
Diners first encountered Orhan’s cuisine when he opened Tooj in Narberth in 2018. Within two years he had secured the number one TripAdvisor position while WalesOnline included Tooj in their ’19 Hidden Restaurants in Wales’ awards.
The planning application included a detailed analysis on why the couple had chosen a property in Mansfield Street instead of the town centre.
“Naturally we were very confused as our property is located between Charles Street and Robert Street, which is right in the centre of Milford Haven. A few meters away is the police Station, the Community Mosque, The Imperial Hall, Kennys restaurant, a butchers and a gift shop. But according to the Local Authority, these ‘Town Centre’ lines include only parts of Hamilton Terrace, Charles Street, Robert street and the Marina, but stop approximately 800 meters short of our property.
We asked if we could have a face to face meeting to assist us in exactly what was required of us but sadly, we were never given the opportunity.”
Ohran and Jennifer are now awaiting the results of their Welsh government appeal.
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