THE strictest possible conditions should be placed on the operation of a café in Minehead’s historic Blenheim Gardens, West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said this week.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said there were grave local concerns about the possible impact of future trading at the café, which had been leased to a local publican’s family. The six-acre gardens were laid out a century ago and are popular with visitors and locals alike.

The café was closed for some years after falling into disrepair, though it is set to re-open next spring under a lease granted by Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) under a shroud of secrecy.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said he had since been contacted by many local people who were worried about its future operations.

He said: “The whole point of the gardens is that they offer a real oasis of peace and tranquillity, and the last thing we want to see is that special character being lost.

“There have been planning problems, up to and including enforcement action, involving the family’s pub in The Avenue.

“Last summer, I had complaints about live music at that pub being clearly audible in the gardens, to the annoyance of people in search of peace and quiet.

“And that of itself means the council must from the outset impose and apply the strictest conditions on the operation of the café.

“That should include a ban on both music and alcohol.

“Unfortunately, a few years ago the gardens were the focus of considerable anti-social behaviour and having once cured that problem we do not want to see any recurrence.”

Mr Liddell-Grainger said local people held the gardens in great affection and were relying on SWT to ensure their special nature was not adversely affected by any unwanted or unauthorised development of the café and the surrounding area.