The plans raised some objections from residents, who were concerned about noise and parking
A Grade II listed building will be turned into a riverside restaurant after plans were approved. In June 2025, Lee Bye submitted plans to East Cambridgeshire District Council to change the ground floor of Quay House in Quayside, Ely, into a restaurant.
Until the 1990s, this building was used as a restaurant. It was then used as a home before being converted into tea rooms and offices.
The applicant sought to change it into a restaurant as the property is “perfectly suited” with it being “situated on the river frontage and being directly adjacent to the public car park”. The plans have now been approved by the council.
As part of the plans, the applicant wished to incorporate a bar and dining areas on the ground floor, as well as customer toilets. The property already has a suitable kitchen, used in the previous restaurant.
The applicant said the kitchen will be “upgraded with a modern, high-specification commercial kitchen”. A new welcome entrance will also be built to “enhance the visitor experience and provide inclusive access”.
The plans added: “To provide comfort for outdoor diners in a way that is sympathetic to the building’s character, a discreet, retractable canopy has been designed for the frontage. This canopy can be extended in sunny or inclement weather and retracted when not in use.”
The plans garnered some objections prior to approval, with concerns raised about parking, noise disruption, and already established eateries. One resident in Quayside said the area already experiences “huge problems” with parking.
They added: “On Quayside and Waterside particularly at weekends vehicles are parked on double yellow lines and pavements and I can’t see anyone arriving by train. Problems caused by deliveries of goods and bin collections, no mention of this is made in the application.”
The resident also said adding to the “vibrant nightlife is a joke”. They said: “It’s already frequently noisy, and at best anti-social.”
The opening hours proposed are to be 9am to 11pm on Monday to Saturdays, and 9am to 8pm on Sundays and public holidays. A resident in Waterside raised concerns about this.
They said: “This area of Ely is predominantly residential. Outside seating alone will generate noise even from the most well behaved customers and there are residential properties within 6m of the outside seating.”
Despite objections, one person who was neither against or for the plans said the new restaurant had the “potential to enhance the quality of the riverside area and benefit the economy of the city”.
