by John Prince
Further restoration work in a historic building in Hornsea has been given the green light by the town council, which would see a restaurant and bar extend into the basement.
Fettled, in Newbegin, opened in November of last year following the refurbishment of the old Stackhouse bar and adjoining unit.
The owners, Richard Caley and Judy Flanagan, had applied to develop the large basement area in the expansive 19th-century building into a new underground space, with the intention of holding private events, musical evenings and other activities including darts and film screenings.
They’ve also suggested having a “feature cellar” where people can go and see the workings of a bar and beer cellar behind a glass screen.
The goal is to offer a private area for functions without closing the main bar to regular customers.
That’s now been given the go-ahead by Hornsea Town Council.
Further permissions will have to be sought through East Riding Council but Richard and Judy have already thought of a name for the basement area, which they’re keeping under wraps.
Richard said: “It’s a multi-use space, really. We won’t close our bar to our regulars, so to have the addition of somewhere we can offer a private space for a function is fabulous. It could be a disco to a comedian to maybe a string quartet.
“It’s across the road from the church so we could also hold wedding events or christenings and wakes.
“The basement has a history of being all sorts of things. There was a downstairs church once, and all sorts of animals – including a monkey! – and different items were for sale down there. I believe it’s also been an ice cream parlour.
“We bought the building because we love the building.”
The project will involve significant restoration work. A staircase that was once there will be reinstated, and walls will be knocked through.
The owners have said they are committed to restoring the building sympathetically, and the new installation will comply with all modern fire regulations.
Councillors said at a meeting that the business is well supported locally, manages patrons responsibly and monitors nuisance.
However, concerns were noted about the basement fire exits and clarity was sought on a second egress.
The proposal was supported with expectations that fire safety will be addressed by the relevant authorities.
For public details on the planning application, go to East Riding Council’s planning portal and search for reference 26/02238.