An experienced restaurateur feels ‘teased and bullied’ by the planning authority after his plans for a taco bar in Wantage were rejected.

James Bradshaw has sunk £40,000 into the unsuccessful project to open NAM Taco Bar at a vacant property on Newbury Street, formerly occupied by Alexander’s Hair Studio.

Last week, his building control application to install a new serving area, kitchen, and seating was rejected by Vale of White Horse District Council.

READ MORE: Plans for 90 new homes in Oxfordshire village refused

A council spokeswoman said his plans were not compliant with building regulations and he had not ensured that adequate toilet facilities were provided.

Mr Bradshaw, 38, said he could not afford to submit a new application.

He said: “It’s like you’re the new kid on the block and everyone is pushing you around. I’m not one to stand back and take it, but all the people are hiding and will refuse to meet with me.

“It’s an utter feeling of helplessness.”

NAM’s menu would have featured tacos filled with options such as crispy peking mushrooms or meatballs and smoked pâté, as well as salads such as minced Thai larb and Dan-Dan slaw.

Mr Bradshaw said it was a ‘simplified version’ of the menu at a tapas bar he ran in Hong Kong, where he lived for 16 years before moving to Wantage in 2021.

Born and raised in the town, he spotted a gap in the market for a high quality restaurant when he returned.

“There are no restaurants in Wantage,” he said.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson pokes fun at Oxfordshire noticeboard

“I didn’t really want to do a restaurant in Wantage, but when I looked at the market and the rent, it seemed too good to be true.”

Mr Bradshaw took over the property’s lease in January but was soon told he would have to install a disabled toilet to receive planning permission.

“They wanted us to completely ruin this historical building by putting this disabled toilet underneath these beautiful wooden rafters,” he said.

“After we put the disabled toilet and the kitchen in, it leaves us with about six seats.”

READ MORE: Fears 80 homes would overwhelm Oxfordshire village school

He made the concessions, spending almost £7,000 on architect fees and often waiting up to two weeks for the council to answer any enquiries.

But his application was rejected, leaving Mr Bradshaw unsure about the future of his plans

He said: “I don’t know how it’s possible to put in a successful application when you don’t get any communication. It has taken four months just to get a rejection.”

A council spokeswoman said: “We received a building control application for this site in May 2023. As per standard practice, our building control team requested more information from the architect acting on the applicant’s behalf on various matters, which included the need for more toilets and for an accessible toilet for wheelchair users to be added. These changes would ensure the plans met national building regulations, as well as the applicant’s duty to comply with various legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and The Workplace (Health and Safety and Welfare) Regulations.

“In June, we explained that the architect needed to submit further updated plans to ensure adequate toilet facilities were provided and that these would be required before the decision date, which the architect acknowledged. We also offered to discuss this matter further with the architect.

“Neither the applicant nor the architect made any further contact with our building control team or provide updated plans to resolve this matter before the decision date on 6 July 2023. As a result, the plans were not compliant with building regulations and therefore the application was rejected.”