A cafe owner who was forced to close her business after locals complained about the smell of bacon and the clatter of tea cups has finally reopened 100 metres from the original site.
Emma Ayles was left devastated when she had to close The Caddy Shack cafe and lay off eight staff after a “storm in a teacup”.
Local residents near the cafe in Weymouth complained that noise from the business was causing “unacceptable harm” to their standard of living.
They claimed that the clinking of teacups and the clinking of cutlery in particular were ruining the tranquility of the area.
Emma Ayles (pictured) said she was delighted to be back in surgery and relieved that “common sense had prevailed”.
In the image: the left arrow shows where the coffee shop used to be located and the right arrow shows the new location.
Dorset Council sided with the residents and forced Ms Ayles, 48, to close the shop last December.
But after successfully applying to the local council, Ms Ayles has re-established her cafe in a converted shipping container 109 meters from the complainants’ homes.
Mrs Ayles, married and mother-of-two, said she was delighted to be trading again and relieved that “common sense has prevailed”.
She said: ‘It’s been really great to open again and we’ve been really busy, with non-stop customers.
The Caddy Shack photographed in its former location, near the homes of locals who complained about the smell and noise.
Dorset Council sided with residents and forced Ayles, 48, to close the shop last December.
The Caddy Shack Cafe at Weymouth and Portland Rugby Club in Dorset opened in April 2022 after relocating from another site in the seaside town.
‘We have 12 tables and as soon as one leaves another group takes them.
“It’s a relief that common sense has finally prevailed after we were shut down for something as minor as the sound of teacups and the smell of bacon.
‘But that’s all in the past now and it’s time to leave it behind and look forward.
“The response has been really positive and we hope to employ 10 people.”
Emma was ordered by authorities to close the Caddy Shack cafe in Weymouth, Dorset, in December due to the “unacceptable harm” it caused to neighbours.
After being told to close the cafe, Ms Ayles made a new application to Dorset Council which involved relocating the business.
Ms Ayles opened The Caddy Shack Cafe at Weymouth and Portland Rugby Club in Dorset in April 2022 after moving from another site in the seaside town.
The rugby club, a tenant of the land, helped her settle on the site temporarily while she sought planning permission to make the cafe permanent.
The cafe was a popular community gathering place for walkers, schoolchildren and disabled people passing by on mobility scooters.
But three residents voiced their opposition to the application on the grounds of “noise and odour” in October 2022.
After being ordered to close the cafe, Ms Ayles submitted a new application to Dorset Council which involved moving the business to a different location in the Weymouth Rugby Club car park.
The local community rallied to his aid with letters of support and a petition on Change.Org received more than 4,000 signatures in a month.
The revised plans were approved after the most vocal complainant dropped his opposition to them.
Ms Ayles was forced to lay off eight staff after the ‘storm that blew up in a glass of water’
There was a celebratory atmosphere at the weekend as dozens of locals turned out to support the packed cafe as it reopened.
In response to the revised plans, chief objector Robert Smith wrote earlier this year: ‘As neighbors who previously opposed Caddy Shack’s position, we would like to say that we are pleased with its new location, which is where we suggested originally.
‘None of the neighbours around wanted this business to close, we just wanted it to move to the rugby club.
“It’s a shame Caddy Shack and the rugby club decided not to consult with their neighbors.”
There was a festive atmosphere at the weekend as dozens of locals turned out to support the packed cafe as it reopened its doors.
MailOnline has contacted Dorset Council for comment.
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