LANDLORD’S greed is being blamed for the closure of a popular restaurant in Dorchester after rises in rent and business rates.

The Town Mill Bakery in the Tudor Arcade will be closing its doors as of September 5.

Owner Clive Cobb, who began baking bread in Lyme Regis in 2005 before opening a restaurant in the county town in 2009, announced the closure with ‘tremendous regret’.

It is understood that at least five jobs will be lost.

He said: “It’s with tremendous regret and not a small amount anger and frustration that we have to close the Dorchester Restaurant on September 5.

“Greed has closed this place – we’ve been frustrated in our attempt to reverse the rises in rent, 61%, and business rate, 53%, of last October.

“Don’t feel sorry for us, because by closing we save money – feel sorry for the staff Geoff, Sophie, Sam, Lesley, Tom and the gang who have been fantastic and due to no fault of their own are the ones who now have to look for another job.

“Thanks to everyone who has supported and enjoyed our Dorchester restaurant.”

Businesses in the Tudor Arcade described the loss of the bakery as ‘sad’ and the rises in rent as ‘shortsighted’.

Tim Altham, owner of Eureka, said: “The increase in business rates is ridiculous.

“I am frustrated about the situation in general, but now I hear it has affected one of our most successful traders in town, that is very worrying.”

Katie Potter, manager at Crystals, said: “I think it’s a shame because there is a full arcade as we are now – and there’s not many full arcades around at the moment.

“I think it’s quite shortsighted to put the rent up and force them out of business.”

Karon Butler, owner of Butler and Company hairdressers, added: “When you see a successful business like theirs struggling, it does make you feel quite uneasy.

“It has made me feel a bit uncertain.”

Assistant manager of Fat Face Stephanie Jones said: “It’s a shame about the Town Mill – I couldn’t believe it when I heard.

“We get quite a lot of customers from them who always rave about it.”

Savills, the property agent that acts for the Tudor Arcade, said nobody was available for comment when the Echo went to print.

'Nobody wants a ghost town'

Phil Gordon, pictured, project director at the Dorchester Business Improvement District (BID) said he shared the frustration of any business that has had an ‘unreasonable rise’ in either business rates or rentals.

He said: “The BID would urge landlords in particular to be very careful before they impose unrealistic increases in view of the current economic climate.

“Surely it’s better for the landlord on behalf of their investors to keep their retail and business premises fully populated generating revenue rather than forcing business, some of which are already struggling due to the current economic climate, into a decision to relocate or close.”

He added: “It’s important for our town to be vibrant and populated – nobody wants Dorchester following the way of other towns that have become like ghost towns.”