Newark Town Council objects to Koinonia restaurant planning application for security shutters due to ‘visual impact’

A council has objected to plans to install security shutters at a popular town centre restaurant due to the visual impact — despite ongoing concerns about vandalism.

Indian restaurant Koinonia, on the corner of St Mark’s Lane and Lombard Street, has applied to install new shutter boxes above their existing street facing windows.

The applicant stated that the shutters were necessary as they suffer from reoccurring problems with vandalism, specifically with repeatedly broken windows, resulting in ongoing cost of repair and insurance difficulties.

It follows a series of shop break-ins and vandalism across Newark town centre last year, and more recently The Governor’s House, Dry Clean Plus, and Children’s Air Ambulance shop were all targeted by thieves who caused property damage.

To prevent future issues, it is proposed that the shutters would only be used overnight while the business is closed.

To reduce any visual impact from the changes, the plans require the removal of the existing signage to install the new security shutters above the windows.

Signs would then be reinstated over the top of the shutter boxes so that they are discretely located, approximately 25cm further forward than the current location.

Newark Town Council’s planning committee met to discuss the plans, but members were conflicted.

Neil Ross said he had “sympathy for any business trying to protect itself” and requested a deferment until a conservation officer had commented on the application.

Mathew Skinner was more vocal in his objections due to the lack of precedent for this type of security measure in the town centre, and that the council has turned down similar applications in the past.

He said: “I can’t think of any other premises in the town with this type of shutter.

“If we approve this, it’s a slippery slope and all the other business will want them — there will be a visual impact and I just can’t support this in a conservation area.

“As soon as the town fills with shutters, it won’t be a very nice place to be.”

He added: “They want to protect the business from break-ins, especially given the current situation in the town centre.

“But what I would actually like to see is more officers on the beat, and remove the need for shutters in the first place.”

Lynn Roulstone said she would be more supportive of the proposals if it were a “more sympathetic design”

Others, including Barbara Corrigan said that despite being in a conservation area, they were not as opposed as they might have been due the building in question being more modern.

Ultimately the committee voted to object to the application, however, a final decision will be made by Newark and Sherwood District Council.