MORE than three years after officers decided against it, councillors will now have their say on whether Caffe Nero should stay open on Epping High Street.

Retrospective permission to allow Caffe Nero to serve as a cafe was refused by Epping Forest District Council’s officers in 2006, and ever since attempts have been made to force it to operate as a retail only shop- effectively closing it.

But officers decided to give planning committee councillors the last say, before enforcement was commenced, and they have now voted resoundingly to delay any action until Caffe Nero are allowed to put in a new planning application.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse said: “It wasn’t a huge, long debate. We couldn’t discuss planning matters, it was just to say if we thought members should have a say on this.

“I agreed that councillors should have a chance to take a view. We should take into account any new issues. Clearly there’s public interest in this case and it’s right that councillors should have a chance to arrive at an agreement on this.”

The district council has spent £11,500 in its attempts to enforce action against the cafe, even hiring a private consultant to fight its case at a planning inquiry.

Cllr Whitehouse said: “I think it would have helped everyone if the whole issue had been dealt with and hadn’t dragged on for so long.”

Council leader Di Collins stressed the issue was not a done deal yet.

She said: “The town centre policy is still the same. We are going to look at an application, if they put one in, and we won’t necessarily agree with it.

“I think the circumstances have changed since it came up before. The officers have proper delegated powers but times have changed. “ Caffe Nero have four weeks to submit a new planning application.