A fish and chip shop owner in Marlow Bottom says winning a battle with the council to keep an eat-in cabin outside the premises has come as a ‘huge relief’ – with an outpouring of local support ‘restoring his faith’ in the community.

Gav Singh has run Oysters Fish and Chips on Brucewood Parade – alongside another branch in Lightwater – for 15 years and celebrated the takeaway’s birthday in March by opening a new container-style seating area outside the small site.

The 50-year-old ran into trouble in July, however, when Buckinghamshire Council demanded that he apply for retrospective planning permission for the cabin amid concerns over its incursion onto parking spaces on the parade.

After a “stressful” few weeks, with Gav and his team “leaving no stone unturned” in their bid to keep the cabin in operation, council officers approved the application this week – accepting his earlier assessment that it was a “no risk” development, “only taking up a single parking space”.

(Image: NQ)

A planning officer’s report described the structure as a “modest addition” to the area, “somewhat screened by boundary vegetation” and “non-harmful to the character and appearance of the scenic beauty of the Chilterns National Landscape”.

Gav, who has previously spoken about the economic struggle facing chippies around the country, said he was “over the moon” about the news and – despite suggestions that his proprietorship might soon be coming to an end – insisted he would have “fought it all the way” had the decision not been in his favour.

He added: “It was a bit of a trigger, back in July, and made me think about planning my exit strategy – one day I would like to sell the shop and pass it on to the right people.

Gav (left) and a staff member at Oysters Fish and Chips (Image: NQ)

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“But I wouldn’t say that’s at the front of my mind at the moment. This has been a real boost – the situation was a damper both financially and in other senses, and it did demotivate me a bit.

“But I’ve been especially chuffed by all the local support. It’s restored some of my faith in the community, and, above all else, it’s a massive relief.”

A number of locals wrote to the council putting their support behind the popular restaurant after the application was submitted last month – with Rajinder Basra saying she thought the cabin “looks very good and doesn’t impinge on anyone” and Geoff Wing suggesting that the “one parking space” sacrificed for its construction was “a small price to pay for the benefit provided”.

The inside of the cabin (Image: NQ)

Councillor for Flackwell Heath, Little Marlow and Marlow South East, Jocelyn Towns, also wrote to the planning authority, describing the eat-in facility as “hugely beneficial” and “a much-needed shelter” for customers wanting to eat their fish and chips onsite.

Gav is now looking ahead to the future, and, fortuitously, what he is hoping will be the busiest time yet for the cabin, as business picks up in the colder months and customers choose eating in over taking their fish and chips away with them.

“It’s good timing because we tend to be a bit quieter over the summer anyway, and we’re hoping the cabin will really pick up in popularity over the autumn and winter.

“Looking on the bright side – this has been a big lift and now we’ve got the chance to see if we can serve the community even better. At the moment, I’m definitely feeling good about it.”