OWNERS keen to invest about £20,000 in their cafe said they have been left no option but to quit the town when their lease comes an end in April 2019.

The Beachside Cafe in Rhyl owners hoped to extend and improve its inside seating area, front windows and cooking area.

Owners David Carlisle and Alison Nadin said they required a 15 year lease in order to do the works and see a return, but Denbighshire County Council has only offered the business partners five.

David said: “We have been here for five years now. We don’t take any freebies, we have funded the whole thing ourselves. Our intention was invest in the business. We outlined our plans to officers at Denbighshire County Council and they said they liked them. In order to do the works, we would need a new 15 year lease, so we could get a return.

“Officers verbally approved of our intentions. However, on trying to negotiate a new lease with Denbighshire County Council, they would only offer us a five-year lease which make the plans unworkable.”

David and Alison said they “strongly” believe in Rhyl.

“We wanted to make the investment, we would not be applying for grants or funding, we would be putting our own funds back into Rhyl,” David added.

“We wanted to invest £20,000 to £25,000.”

A petition has been set up by customer Bernadette Norman to ‘save the beach cafe’. This has already attracted 280 signatures.

David said: “They have driven this campaign. We have very loyal customers, and we’ve been in touch with Chris Ruane, MP for Vale of Clwyd, and Ann Jones, AM for Vale of Clwyd.

“It is very frustrating. If have to go, we will invest somewhere else.

“We will fight but we aren’t going to throw money at it.”

Denbighshire County Council have been approached for comment.

To sign the petition, visit Beachside Cafe on Facebook.