A seafront cafe owner was heading back to Exmouth today to find out just why his premises had been boarded up overnight.
Dean Gardner, owner of the popular DJ’s Cafe on Queen’s Drive, Exmouth, was in the Midlands looking after a sick relative, when he heard the bad news.
Mr Gardner, who has run the cafe for 11 years, said he had been told by East Devon District Council last month that the cafe could remain open for the “foreseeable future” in the run up to the redevelopment of the Exmouth seafront.
But in the early hours of October 1 a small number of contractors, went to the premises changed the locks and boarded up the premises up.
A notice, signed by Richard Cohen, Deputy Chief Executive EDDC, stated that council had taken possession of the premises.
The notice also indicates that: “as you have not made an application to the court before the expiry date (of the notice to terminate the lease) EDDc has exercised the right to take possession.”
Mr Gardner said: “It is a living nightmare. I restocked the cafe on the basis of being told that nothing was going to happen for the foreseeable future and now they have taken possession and boarded the place up without any notice.
“I have to say that when the Carriage Cafe was hauled away I wondered what was going on but I knew they had had enough and had a new site set up in Cornwall.
“I didn’t expect this to happen and I am now heading back to Exmouth straight away to find out what on earth is going on.”
Mr Gardner added that he had spent thousands of pounds on the cafe but was being offered “less than £15,000” in compensation.
According to campaigners opposed to the seafront development, EDDC said on its website that businesses operating in Queen’s Drive will be able to continue to trade beyond 30 September 2015
A Council spokesperson said previously: “East Devon District Council would like to make clear for the benefit of local residents, as well as its Queen’s Drive tenants and customers, that businesses currently operating at Queen’s Drive, who have formally notified the council that they wish to renew their tenancies, will continue to trade beyond 30 September 2015 until the necessary legal processes have been followed and concluded regarding their future.
“The council would like to apologise for any misunderstanding that has occurred.”
East Devon Watch 
Typical bully boy tactics by EDDC. No doubt the tenant will lodge a formal complaint against EDDC and that will be investigated by Cohen, the tenant will then receive the usual bucket of whitewash as a reply.
It seems Cohen does just as he like and specialises in shutting down businesses. Sack the bast**d.
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There may well be grounds for complaint. Those taking forceable possession of the property- by breaking in at 6.am, changing locks, boarding up etc, seem not to have had any warrant from the court. Certainly none had been produced to the tenants, the only ‘authority’ for their actions being a notice signed by Cohen.
One of the (other) truly improper actions by EDDC has been the posting, on their facebook page, of personal finacial information of a member of the public.
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It is being said in newspapers that he didn’t ask for an extension and he owed EDDC money. EDDC in its press releases did not give the impression that leaseholders needed to do anything and money owed should be pursued through the proper channels. Yet another situation where Cohen and EDDC are shown in their true colours.
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Tim. I am sure there are grounds for a formal complaint and if one is made I will stage a wager that it will be Cohen who investigates it!!
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