Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) has reached an agreement with the owners of The Embankments Bar and Restaurant, located on a barge moored on the River Medway in Maidstone alongside the Archbishop’s Palace for the past ten years. The barge had been used as a floating restaurant but was seriously damaged in a fire in February 2020 and has not re-opened since then. Plans for a new design would have needed revised planning consent. Under the agreement, the company has surrendered its lease on the riverbank mooring to the Council. As a result, the barge will now be towed away and the structures on the riverbank will be removed. For the Council, this leaves the way clear for it to progress its plans for the adjoining Archbishop’s Palace. For The Embankments Bar and Restaurant, there is the opportunity to re-establish the business in a new location with a modern new design. The agreement also resolves the disputes over planning permission and the lease terms in relation to the Barge and the Pergola on the riverbank. It has been agreed between the parties that these proceedings in relation to these disputes will not now be pursued. The Council and the owners of The Embankments are both content that this is a good solution for all parties and brings a satisfactory end to what had become a long-running and unwelcome dispute.
