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Seafood Bothy plans for seaside hut rejected as children ‘could run out into traffic after being spooked by lobsters’

Owner of the Stonehaven business Maria Lewis warned that the harbour is now at risk of "losing its fishing history".

Plans to expand Stonehaven's Seafood Bothy business have been rejected amid fears about the safety of people queuing up for meals. Image: Chris Sumner/ DC Thomson
Plans to expand Stonehaven's Seafood Bothy business have been rejected amid fears about the safety of people queuing up for meals. Image: Chris Sumner/ DC Thomson

Plans to turn a fishing shack into a seafood hut have been refused amid fears screaming children could run out into traffic after being “scared by lobsters”.

Stonehaven’s Seafood Bothy wanted to transform a derelict seafront storage unit into a new arm of the business.

The independent firm operates from a modified horse box along the town’s pier, which can be forced to close when storms strike.

Owner Maria Lewis forged plans to weather-proof the business by taking over a former fishing shed yards away along the quayside.

It would even have had a lobster tank, to help teach children about local marine life.

Maria Lewis, owner of Seafood Bothy, offers weekly seafood specials out of a renovated horse trailer.

During a recent council meeting, concerns were raised that visitors could be at risk from traffic along the busy Shorehead stretch.

They heard that Stonehaven is “getting busier and busier”, with the harbour a popular visitor destination.

And one councillor even voiced fears that children could become spooked by the sudden movement of a crustacean – and come to harm as they flee into the road in distress.

Seafood Bothy plans rejected despite public support

The planning application was submitted last summer.

A wave of support soon rolled in, with 56 people writing to the council to back the local trader’s aspirations.

They said the Seafood Bothy had encouraged visitors to Stonehaven, benefiting other companies in the process.

The rusted hut earmarked for the project is just beyond the shelter in this picture. Image: Google Maps
Here is how the hut would have been converted. Image: Inspire Design and Development

But 10 people objected, citing the “unsafe” location in the busy harbour area.

And the local authority’s roads department also advised against the plans, warning about a “significant” safety risk facing people queuing for fishy snacks by the roadside.

Last month, “freezing” weather prevented the Seafood Bothy from opening:

Due to a frosty cold weekend ahead we won’t be opening on the pier. Good news is there are plenty of lobster around for when we do.

Posted by Seafood Bothy on Friday, 24 February 2023


Do you think the plans should have been approved? Let us know in our comments section below


Why were Seafood Bothy plans rejected?

The Seafood Bothy planning application recently went before members of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee.

Mrs Lewis addressed the room, saying that she would only operate from the Shorehead shack in the quieter winter months, while her usual place of business is out of action.

Weather like this means the adapted horse trailer on the pier isn’t an option all year round. Image: Jim Smith

And the trader issued an impassioned plea to keep the harbour’s heritage alive.

She said: “I thought I was doing good, trying to bring more people in…

“This is something that has to continue in the harbour. Fishing will eventually disappear.

“We already send out 95% of our stock abroad, there’s only 5% we keep in Stonehaven Harbour – and that’s me.”

Fish sales took place at Stonehaven Harbour in the 1960s. Image: DC Thomson

The trader added: “If I stop doing it, that’s it gone. It will just become a harbour that doesn’t have any fishing history.”

Mrs Lewis confirmed that there would be “no other options” available for her plans.

Would lobsters alarm children?

One subsequent exchange seemed to leave the businesswoman baffled, as committee convener Wendy Agnew asked if she would be “putting water in” the tanks.

Mrs Lewis responded: “Yes, you have to put water in to keep the lobsters alive.”

You can watch the meeting here:

Lingering on the lobster issue, Mrs Agnew said the glass-encased sea creatures could exacerbate the concerns highlighted by the council’s roads team.

She said: “I visit the harbour quite often and my worry is that, with the lobster tank, children will look at them and then a lobster will move…

“And [the children] will scream and run, they may run out into the road and… bang.

“I don’t think I could have that on my conscience.”

The Shorehead road is busy with swimmers, kayakers and paddle-boarders. Image: Jane Davidson

Other councillors agreed that the road issues could not be overcome, and the idea of a one-year trial was dismissed.

The plans were ultimately refused by eight votes to four.

You can see the application here.

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