A couple are one step closer to bringing some ‘much-needed life’ to a South Lakeland village after an application for the variation of a premises licence was approved.
Matt and Sarah Jackson are investing £200,000 in a project to rejuvenate the former Gado Gado restaurant along The Promenade, Arnside.
They were granted permission to sell alcohol between 8am and midnight seven days a week by the district council’s licensing sub-committee on Wednesday.
Gill Sherratt, licensing consultant at Napthens Solicitors, speaking on behalf of the Jacksons, said that the business would be food-led and not all about the alcohol.
“They want responsible people to be able to relax and socialise in a lovely environment,” Ms Sherratt told councillors.
“Mr and Mrs Jackson live in Arnside and have done for five years. They lived in Milnthorpe for 12 years before that, so they know the area.”
Ms Sherratt said the venture would bring ‘much-needed life to the village’.
The Jacksons say their eatery – to be named JJ Crossfields – will provide the public with later-evening options in Arnside.
“After seven o’clock, you can’t get food, you can’t get a bottle of milk and you can’t get a cup of tea,” Mrs Jackson said.
Peter Evoy, who lives at Carr Bank, just outside Arnside, attended the licensing meeting to support the couple.
“I think it’s the best thing that will have happened to the village in a lot of years,” he said. “The after-effects of COVID after the lockdowns – we saw a continued decline of quality of service within the village, and with that, there was a lack of a place where the community could meet.
“People were looking for better value for money and better quality and it wasn’t there.
“Matt’s proposal is to re-establish that and have a place where friends and family and visitors can meet convivially.”
Mr Jackson said the eatery would offer discounts to local people and would allow people to accumulate points that could be redeemed on special occasions, thereby bringing the community together.
Mr and Mrs Jackson were also granted permission to open seven days a week between the hours of 8am and midnight, to provide late-night refreshment seven days a week between the hours of 11pm and midnight, and to update the floor plan to increase the areas for licensable activities.
