THE owners of one of Britain’s most highly rated restaurants have been urged to be more neighbourly as planning bosses said they lacked the power to resolve a bitter battle over car parking.

Chairman of Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee Councillor Paul Baldwin said The Raby Hunt, which recently retained its two Michelin star accolade, had a moral duty to alleviate residents’ access issues due to inconsiderate staff and customer parking.

The committee heard it was accepted the application  to combine the inn with the adjoining cottage, to provide extra guest bedrooms, a temperature controlled wine storage room, and improved facilities would not increase the number of diners at the Summerhouse venue.

However, residents have said it would mean guests would stay for longer, aggravating parking issues in the hamlet which had left some feeling like “prisoners in our own house that daren’t go out” and The Raby Hunt’s owners staff treated Summerhouse “with contempt”.

Neighbours said the restaurant had dismissed an offer to allow parking at the village hall for £50 a week as “charity”.

Villagers told the meeting the issues they had faced since the Close family bought the restaurant in 2009 needed to be considered alongside the fact Summerhouse was a “small, intimate hamlet, very friendly, socially engaging - active residents look after each other”.

Resident and solicitor Andrew Way claimed sometimes staff and customers’ cars exceeded those of residents in the village.

Russell Close, the father of chef James Close, told the meeting the application to was designed to improve customer experience and staff facilities have a “limited impact to neighbours” and the parking issue Summerhouse faced was similar to that in many small villages.

He said his family had agreed to attend mediation with villagers to discuss any issues they have, but added it had been the residents who had previously decided not to meet them. 

Mr Close said: “The original village infrastructure was not designed around the motor vehicle. We are happy to look for ways to improve this. This can be resolved with cooperation with the village hall committee. Discussions which are ongoing propose to allow staff to use the village hall car park.”

In response to residents claims that police had been called to deal with parking issues, Mr Close said it had been the restaurant which called the police due to the “aggressive and confrontational nature of one of the villagers towards staff and guests”.

But neighbour Basil Stonehouse, a retired headmaster, responded that the result of the police call, was the restaurant being told to move an inconsiderately parked car.

Councillor Gerald Lee said: “Utimately a compromise has to be made between the residents and the restaurant.”

Ahead of the application being approved, Cllr Baldwin said any planning condition the committee imposed on parking in the village could be overturned on appeal.

He added: “The Raby Hunt is now an internationally classed restaurant, which is fantastic for the area. To get that sort of accolade must be really difficult. Lots of mind power and dedication, and yet you don’t seem to be able to work with your neighbours to sort out a few cars.

“I think you need to put some energy into that. I would say to the Raby Hunt there’s a moral issue to try and work with your neighbours and hopefully at the meeting with the parish committee something can be sorted to sort the car parking.”