The Easby Loop Cafe: Support for popular Yorkshire café over retrospective planning application
A popular riverside café has received backing from local organisations after its owner was told to apply for retrospective planning permission.
Nic Perks, who runs The Easby Loop Cafe close to Easby Abbey, near Richmond, has submitted an application to North Yorkshire Council for permission to retain the food and drink trailer and outdoor seating area.
The café, which opened in June 2025, has become a popular stopping point for walkers and visitors enjoying the scenic route between Richmond and Easby Abbey.
However, Mr Perks has now been advised by the council that planning permission is required for the development.
The application has received support from Richmondshire Ramblers and Richmond Civic Society, both of which have praised the café’s popularity and its impact on the surrounding area.
In a letter to planning officers, Mike Richardson, footpath officer for Richmondshire Ramblers, said: “The cafe is very popular with users of the adjacent public footpath and this application is supported.”
Richmond Civic Society has also backed the proposals, despite expressing disappointment that permission was not sought before the café opened.
The society said: “Although it is regrettable that this application is retrospective, we fully support it.
“It is extremely popular with locals and we do not consider that there is any negative impact on the environment of Easby Abbey as it is very discreetly placed.”
The application seeks permission for a transportable metal trailer measuring 3.9 metres long, which serves hot and cold drinks and food.
The outdoor seating area includes seven wooden picnic-style tables, four smaller tables and additional chairs, with fencing separating the café from the adjoining garden and riverside.
Mr Perks is also seeking permission to install a small wooden serving bar.
In supporting documents, the applicant says considerable care has been taken to ensure the café blends into the Easby Conservation Area.
The dark-coloured trailer, wooden furniture and gravelled seating area have been chosen to complement the natural surroundings.
The documents also state that the adjoining public footpath and bridleway are kept clear, with customers discouraged from queuing in the lane.
Mr Perks says the café regularly collects litter from the surrounding area, including along the Easby Loop walking route.
He also maintains that most customers arrive on foot, limiting any additional demand for parking near Easby Church.
The council’s environmental health scientific team has raised no objections to the application on contaminated land or local air quality grounds.
The plans indicate that the café could employ six part-time staff, equivalent to two full-time positions.
Proposed opening hours are 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, including bank holidays.