Much-loved Sheffield restaurant suffers thousands of pounds of damage with repeated break-ins

A popular Sheffield restaurant has suffered a series of break-ins and vandalism causing £25,000 worth of damage.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Thyme Cafe on Glossop Road at Broomhill installed security shutters but did not realise it needed planning permission so has applied retrospectively.

It says without the shutters as protection, there’s a risk it would have to close down.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the application, Time Architects on behalf of the restaurant say: “The shutters have been installed as a reaction to a series of break-ins and vandalism that has been caused to a number of buildings in the immediate vicinity.

Thyme Cafe.Thyme Cafe.
Thyme Cafe.

“The building has been broken into six times in the last 18 years, three of which have been within the last 12 months.

“Further to this, there’s been several occasions where the building frontage has been damaged and vandalised during the same period.

“On each occasion this has resulted in costly repairs along with the cost of replacing stolen materials and the psychological impact on the staff and owners.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The applicant has evaluated these costs to be in the region of £25,000 for the last three break-ins alone.

“There have been a number of antisocial behavior activities that have taken place to the front of the building including urination and drug usage in the recessed doorway and fighting.

“It is understandable that the owners have installed security measures to protect their business.”

Thyme Cafe says it was advised by South Yorkshire Police to install security measures and its insurance company insisted on them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The shutters will only be closed between midnight and 8am each day and were designed to be in keeping with the restaurant.

The application adds: “The restaurant is held in very high regard in the area and is an extremely popular venue.

“The owners have a number of well respected and very popular eating establishments across the city, and they can be considered as an asset to the city.

“This would be deemed as a very unfortunate loss to the area by many within the local community.”

Planning officers are considering the retrospective application.