MARKET Place, in Barnard Castle, is a “ghost town” at night and the opening of a new Italian cafe will breathe new life into the area, the businessman behind the scheme claims.
Kamal Alley hit back after members of Barnard Castle Town Council’s planning committee objected to his application to convert clothing shop Boho Boo into an eatery.
Councillors claimed there are too many cafes in the area and they want to save the retail space.
Concern was also expressed about a lack of provision for disabled people.
But Mr Alley, owner of Il Palazzo, in Galgate, who submitted the application, says it will bring a much-needed boost to the town centre, which has little in the way of a night time economy.
He said: “It is going to add more vitality to Market Place especially on an evening. The evening there is dead, it is like a ghost town.
“When more people open up that draws more people into Barnard Castle, and that brings more revenue for everyone.
“If I don’t take it, that place is going to stand empty. That means the council is going to lose revenue and another place is going to be empty.”
He added that there are already a number of empty shops in the town.
Mr Alley confirmed he had put Il Palazzo on the market to fund various projects, including the planned eatery in Market Place and a boutique hotel in Richmond.
The restaurateur added that he had spent about £500,000 remodelling the former Beaconsfield pub into Il Palazzo.
He said: “If I don't get the price I want I won't sell.
“The place down the road (Market Place) is going to be a cafe-restaurant that is open on an evening.
“I love the frontage, it is perfect for a restaurant. It is a beautiful building.”
Regarding concerns about disabled access, Mr Alley said the problem was caused because the building is on two levels, with three steps separating the dining area from the planned disabled-friendly toilet facility.
The narrowness of the steps means it is unsafe to put in a ramp, he said.
He added: “If there is any means, I will do it. It will be very difficult but I will do what the council requires of me.”
If the application is successful, Mr Alley plans to open for breakfast, lunch and on an evening and could employ between 13 and 20 people.
Boho Boo owners Richard and Diane Kent said business rates charged on the current building made the business unviable and the shop would move to another part of the town in September.
