Somerset Council has faced embarrassment after mistakenly approving plans to expand Minehead’s seafront arcade, The Arkade. Situated on Warren Road near the town’s heritage railway station, The Arkade prides itself on hosting the largest collection of classic pay-to-play pinball machines in the UK, according to Visit Exmoor.
The business is run by Marcus Kravis, one of two Liberal Democrat councillors representing the nearby Dunster division, alongside his partner Cara Strom. In March, Mr Kravis submitted an application to expand The Arkade by demolishing disused public toilets nearby—an unpopular structure once voted “the second most hated building in Minehead” before its closure.
The Council’s planning officers approved the application in December, citing compliance with planning policies and the development’s potential to boost economic growth. However, the approval was granted under delegated powers, breaching the council constitution that mandates all planning applications involving serving councillors or officers be decided publicly by the relevant committee to maintain transparency.
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Recognizing the procedural error, Mr Kravis has withdrawn the initial approval and resubmitted the plans for review by the council’s planning committee west early next year. This committee oversees major planning decisions within the former Somerset West and Taunton area and has previously reviewed applications connected to Mr Kravis and Ms Strom’s holiday accommodation business, Anchor’s Drop.
Planning officer Gemma Webster acknowledged the “unfortunate oversight,” noting that the original decision “is open to legal challenge” because it did not follow proper protocols. She emphasized that neither Mr Kravis nor his agent was responsible for the error. While the council could seek a judicial review to overturn the initial approval, this could be costly, time-consuming, and potentially jeopardize the development’s viability.
The resubmitted proposal includes leveling the floor of the former ladies' toilets to enlarge the arcade, while converting the adjacent gentlemen’s toilets into additional storage for equipment. The public toilets were closed by West Somerset Council in 2017, briefly reopened by The Arkade in 2018 and 2020, and have since remained closed.
Both Minehead Town Council and the Environment Agency initially raised no objections and will be consulted again ahead of the renewed committee decision scheduled for early 2026.