A Tunbridge Wells coffee bus, The Moving Mug, is in conflict with the council over its location.
Maddy Harris and brothers Toby and Josh Jones built it; they call themselves the “professional idiots.” They spent money to convert the bus into a cafe and shared the build on social media.
Luke Derbyshire and Neive Taylor now run the cafe which has many Instagram followers for their business. The bus has been open in the Hawk and Berry pub car park since November.
The council sent a letter to the couple stating that the car park lacks the necessary permission for their business. Taylor said the car park owner is fine with them being there, but the council’s message worried them.
Customers suggested a petition which quickly gained many signatures. Taylor said the bus brakes need fixing for moving, and moving risks their insurance if they’re forced to leave.
Taylor said the cafe is now important to the community and that she and Derbyshire love coffee. They didn’t intend to become central to the community, but she explained that the area needed it.
Regulars include dog walkers, parents, and people from local offices. They got an extension and must now leave by March tenth. No matter where they go, the problem could repeat.
They hope to travel around in the summer and visit festivals with their cafe. Derbyshire said the council’s reasoning felt insulting and that he thinks it wastes council resources.
Derbyshire believes small business success is hard. His friends gave him the bus for free, but even with that, profit margins are small. He said the council isn’t supporting local businesses.
A customer, Kris Boyes, spoke to the news stating that the council should support the business. He said the owners are bringing the community together.
The council received their first complaint in December and has been trying to resolve the matter informally. They said the bus needs planning permission since it is permanently parked and that the owners need to apply for permission to stay.