Internet cafe faces planning battle

Mike Dawson and his partner Danielle Briston, owners of Keighley's first internet caf Cyber-Dine, have been ordered by Keighley planners to remove or repaint their security shutters, and claim a planning officer inspected them under false pretences.

Proprietor Mr Dawson says: "A woman called to Cyber-Dine pretending to be interested in the business. After a while she said she was from the Keighley planning department and asked if she could take some pictures of our security fittings to be used for reference purposes.

"She said it was for a general database to be used to advise people in future of the various types of security systems they may want to use. I was very specific on that and asked her if that was the case in three different ways."

Days later Mr Dawson received a letter ordering him to replace the roller shutter with a grille type shutter or have it removed and repainted. There have already been numerous attempted break-ins, and Mr Dawson says he risks another one by having the shutter repainted. If the shutters are replaced with a grille, Mr Dawson will lose his high risk insurance cover. Mrs Briston is also shocked at the behaviour of the planning officer and adds: "The way she did it was very underhand and very unprofessional."

The Internet entrepreneurs cannot understand why they are being threatened with enforcement action as planning officers passed the plans.

Mr Dawson, who opened Cyber Dine in April, says: "We had planning permission and spoke face-to-face with a chap at the council who had said everything would be OK."

Mrs Briston says the woman advised her that the shutters should be inside the glass, advice which directly contradicts that given by Keighley's crime prevention officer, PC Steve Littlewood.

No one from the council was available for comment yesterday.

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