Plans for a new Art Deco-style floating restaurant in Stratford
A NEW floating restaurant could open on Stratford’s canal basin.
The 1920s barge, currently called the Captain’s Table, has an Art Deco-inspired interior and had been operating along the River Cam in Cambridge.
The barge is now in storage in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, but there are plans to bring it to Stratford and open it as a year-round restaurant.
A planning application has been submitted to Stratford District Council to have the barge moored at the south-eastern end of the canal basin.
The 70ft-long vessel can seat up to 30 people, has a toilet on board, and would be open seven days a week, operating as a cruising restaurant.
“It has previously served high-end bagels, sweet and savoury crepes, Belgian waffles, ice cream, light refreshments, tea, coffee, soft drinks and afternoon teas,” the planning application states.
The mooring is owned by the Canal and River Trust while SDC owns the pavement area. It is within the town’s conservation area and close to a number of listed buildings, but the planning documents argue that the restaurant would not result in any harm to the area.
The application concludes: “A floating restaurant located in the Bancroft basin supports the local economy, tourism and additional benefits for local residents, alongside policies that seek to ensure that development takes place in the most sustainable locations.”
SDC has until 19th August to make a decision on the application.
