Southchurch Park Cafe unveil plans to sell alcohol

Co-owner of the Southchurch Park Cafe, Nathalie Lovell, says customers have been pleading with the business to sell alcohol for years and they are now confident of making it a reality.

The cafe, which has been operating for more than 30 years, is aiming to sell “small bottles of wine” which can be consumed on-site and are cautious of “not wanting to spoil the park experience for others”.

Nathalie said: “We’re thinking little bottles of wine for them to have with their meals.

“The cafe has a family-friendly atmosphere, and we’ll be keeping that as the planned addition will be properly supervised as the customers would only be able to drink it on the premises and more CCTV will be put up too.

“This is because the last thing we want is drunk people running around the beautiful park.”

A licensing application has been submitted to Southend Council for the sale of alcohol from 11am to 9pm, seven days a week, with representations needed by December 20.

Southend resident Karen Martin, 48, of Kensington Road, which is on the northern corner of Southchurch Park, says she is “fully supportive” of independent businesses but has concerns regarding the proposal.

She said: “We want to encourage people to come down to the park but also feel safe.

“As long as it can stay that way, in terms of only letting people drink alcohol inside the café, then that’s OK.

In addition to the sale of alcohol, it is also hoped the café opening hours can be extended so the business can run from 8am to 9pm all year.

At the moment, the cafe closes at 4.30pm in winter and 5.30pm in summer.

Nathalie said the “cost of running the cafe has increased significantly” and being open for longer will help it survive and thrive.

Plans for “regulated entertainment” from noon to 9pm, Monday to Sunday, are also included in the application.

The council will decide whether or not to grant permission.