THE owners of the popular L&S Gift and Coffee House, in Liphook Square, have been granted permission by East Hampshire District Council to serve hot food in order to expand their current menu.

Sisters Lucy and Sarah Hanney, who opened the cafe last June, also received an outdoor seating licence for the patio which overlooks the Square, a popular spot with their customers.

Lucy said: “We are delighted and grateful for the support we have received from our district councillors, Bill Mouland and Angela Glass, as well as Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council and our customers.

“This means, after a small refurbishment of the serving area, we will be able to offer toasted paninis, toasties, sandwiches, hot soup, breakfast rolls and cream teas, as well as fresh smoothies, milk shakes and ice cream in the summer.

“We can also take bookings for groups of people who want to celebrate a special occasion. Our supplier will be a local catering company, and there will be no cooking on the premises, just re-heating.

“We plan to have the new range available by the end of February.”

The cafe is open 9am-4.30pm (Mon-Fri), 9am-4pm (Sat) and 9.30am-1pm Sun). For more information call (01428) 723710.

* A planning application for the conversion of an existing loft space at Chiltlee View, has been given permission by East Hampshire District Council.

Bramshott and Liphook parish councillors objected to the proposal stating it would be overdevelopment of the site on the north side of Haslemere Road – adjacent to the village conservation area – and that it lacked sufficient car parking spaces.

A second planning application by Sellitto Developments for a separate two-storey dwelling adjacent to Chiltlee View’s Flat Nos. 3 and 6 is still awaiting decision by EDHC’s planning officers.

January’s parish council’s planning meeting heard the owner of Flat 6 was distraught over the developer’s plans to construct a separate building in such close proximity to the existing house, which would block the light from her bedroom windows, plunging the first floor accommodation into darkness.

A similar application for a one-bedroom dwelling by Silletto was refused in early 2014. Permission was granted for a two-storey extension to form additional accommodation for the two existing flats, in 2012.

The current application proposes to use that floor area to form a separate two-bed, dwelling over two storeys.