'We have done so much for the community': Application to keep open popular 19th century Northampton tearoom refused

Mill House Tea Rooms & Garden opened in July 2019 in Wootton, unusually, perhaps, in the cafe owner's garden.

Business owner and baker, Emily Armstrong, took the plunge and launched her Alice In Wonderland-inspired dream cafe in her garden, which took Northampton by storm.

But after complaints were made against her business Emily had to submit a mixed-use planning application for the tea room, which sells bottomless cake, to continue to trade.

An online petition, which was set up last year by Emily, saw the backing of 1,579 supporters, all wanting her to stay open.

This month, Emily was told her application had been refused and she can no longer go-ahead and reopen her cake-selling cafe because of the impact on parking provision in a residential area and potential impacts from noise and odours.

Emily said that she struggles to understand the decision when her house is on the High Street, near the village shop, pub and butchers.

She said: "It's so frustrating we literally just got the house redecorated to reopen and they have refused it and we are gutted.

"My partner was made redundant during lockdown and we put everything into the business to make a go of it to have it open in September.

"We supplied the whole of the community during lockdown, we baked cakes for the homeless, sold eggs to people, delivered afternoon teas to people in isolation and we made 250 afternoon teas on VE Day."

When the tearooms first opened Emily applied to the council to register her business. After the business was awarded with a hygiene rating and health and safety protocols she said she recieved some surprise news.

She said: "Then, when we opened and were doing well they suddenly turned up and said 'now we need planning permission to turn our house from a home in to a mixed-used dwelling even though we hadn’t changed anything inside or outside the house."

Last year, the tearoom opened just four days a week for three hours a day and on Sundays they opened for five hours with live music once a month.

"It was always something mellow, like jazz," Emily added. "We are happy to stop that. We could turn this house into a house in multiple occupancy and have six extra people living here if we wanted to and I don't need planning to do that."

Emily was told by a council officer to look for another venue but she says the reason why her cafe is so popular with customers is because of the quaint and unusual setting.

"It is a home-from-home experience in an old 19th century house with beautiful gardens - that's what we are.

"We are catering for elderly people who are at home and want to go out and mums who drop their kids off at school, it's not a house party.

"In the winter we are not in the garden so there's not much noise and due to COVID we can't have as many people. I have no idea how we are going to reopen."

Emily is now supplying cakes to D H Hillyer butchers in Wootton, which she says are a sell out every day and is now asking other businesses to come forward and help stock her produce.

She is also seeking legal advice and is keen to speak to anyone who could help her here.