A TRADER who removed a bench from outside his Whitehaven shop has expressed his ‘disappointment’ at the council’s decision to put it back in place.

Balazs Csomor, owner of the Angry Boba - a bubble tea and ice cream shop – has written to councillors, urging them to rethink the decision.

The seating owned by Whitehaven Town Council was removed from upper King Street for the second time last month.

Mr Csomor later admitted he had removed the bench and said the town council had failed to respond to a complaint he made. He said it was ‘being stored securely’ until a resolution was found.

The bench was then returned to the council by Mr Csomor after the police were informed.

At a Whitehaven Town Council meeting held last month, members voted to reinstate the bench in its original position and it has now been put back.

In the letter to councillors, Mr Csomor said he was ‘truly surprised’ that councillors had voted on a subject ‘without knowing all the details’.

He said he had contacted the council with his concerns and asked for the bench to be moved months ago.

In the letter, Mr Csomor says: ”I hope no one really believes that we - as a newly established business in Whitehaven - chose to remove the bench on our own as a first action, without trying the civilised and official way, like asking the council to relocate it first.

“We contacted both Cumberland Council and Whitehaven Town Council by email early September.

“Since we didn't get any response (as it happened so many times before) we just decided not to wait for the council if they ever get back to us, but to move the bench a few metres up the street instead (together with the bin) ourselves.

“No damage was caused whatsoever.

“…they took the bench away from the street with no comment. We thought this was a good sign until the bench was reinstalled with new bolts a few weeks later.

“Then we contacted the council(s) again, with a more detailed explanation of our concerns. I went into the town council's office in person, talked to Marlene Jewell, we also wrote to Whitehaven Town Council, Cumberland Council, Highways, but everyone was just pointing to the other and no one took action or made a decision about it.

“It was only after all these when – since we saw no action taken or decision made – we contacted Cllr Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, then we removed the bench again and stored securely it until the any of the councils is able to deal with our issue.”

Mr Csomor goes on to say that the only response to this was when the mayor, Chris Hayes, showed up at the shop after closing, ‘yelling at them at the shop entrance’, and ‘threatening to blacklist the business’.

He then asks councillors to ‘discuss the subject properly again’ based on the information he has provided.

Marlene Jewell, Whitehaven Town Council clerk, said: “Whitehaven Town Council are fully supportive of small businesses in the town, as our annual schedule of events shows.

“In this particular case, it should be noted that the benches on King Street have been in the same location for the benefit of the public for decades and this particular business chose the location in the full knowledge that there was a bench outside.

“He did contact the council several weeks ago, asking for it to be removed and was referred to Cumberland Council. The town council reinstated the bench the first time it was removed, only for it to be removed again.

“The police were informed on the second occasion and after visiting the business, the bench was returned to the town council, who after discussing the matter with the landowner, Cumberland Council, resolved to reinstate the bench as per Cumberland’s request.

“The benches on King Street were placed so that traffic including emergency vehicles could still access the street which is why they are not in the centre of the road.”

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: “The bench, planter and bin in question is owned and maintained by Whitehaven Town Council.

“The bench in its original location is sited in line with guidance which will have been offered the Town Council when the licence was agreed.

"The Town Council are at liberty to move and re-site the furniture, so long as they follow the same guidance, which in this case, it appears that they have.

"Unless it is causing a real and present danger, Cumberland Council would not be involved in the matter.”