Residents '˜more concerned than excited' about Ferring Bluebird Café expansion

I was interested to read your article '˜Debate begins over café proposal' regarding the Bluebird Café in Ferring but could not identify with the statement that plans to expand have been '˜met with excitement from residents'.
Ferring Bluebird Cafe. Picture: Steve Robards SR1824897Ferring Bluebird Cafe. Picture: Steve Robards SR1824897
Ferring Bluebird Cafe. Picture: Steve Robards SR1824897

All the neighbours, friends and acquaintances in Ferring I have spoken to about this subject are more concerned than excited about this prospect because of the detrimental effect it will have on local traffic and parking on local roads around the café for one thing – roads that the residents pay to maintain.

There is also the question of the very narrow access and the fact that the car park is not owned by the café and turning it into some sterile concrete car park to service the cafe would spoil the environment that currently exists.

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This is an area much loved by Ferring residents for walking and access to the Rife and should not be forgotten just to accommodate a business which can provide a perfectly adequate service as a beach café in its current form.

Unfortunately, because of the beach policy allowing dogs on the beach all year round, and the fact this is advertised widely on social media, people come from miles around to walk along Patterson’s Walk or the beach with their dogs and sometimes end up at the Bluebird Café for refreshments.

This is generally during weekends over the summer months and when the weather is fine and results in an increase in customers especially at those times, but is no worse than any other café in the area when the weather is good and people are out and about anywhere along the coast.

Mr Garrett states in the article that a couple of public meetings have already been held with the community, but everyone I have spoken to, myself included, knew nothing about them and saw no posters or any other information advertising when and where they were going to be held, so I question how widely the community has been consulted.

Linda Hanlon

Herm Road, Ferring

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