THE owner of a Burnham-on-Sea cafe has said the council is 'killing the high street' because there are too many cafes in the town.

Mono's Cafe in College Street, which is owned and run by Holly Jackson, closed its doors for good on Bank Holiday Monday (August 27).

The cafe opened just 12 months ago but Holly said she has struggled due to competition from other businesses.

"I really don't believe the footfall is up in Burnham, there are far too many cafes and second hand shops, no one stands a chance," Holly said.

"Does one town need so many cafes? I don't think so. I just think it is really sad, everything is closing down.

"When I first moved here you could go to the butchers for your meat, the greengrocers for your veg and the supermarket for everything else but you can't do that now. It is really really sad."

Holly claims she was not allowed to advertise her business on the town's streets and said high business rates made it difficult for business owners to stay afloat.

"Business has been good over the summer but we just couldn't risk another winter of trading," Holly said.

"I poured everything into this and now its all gone but an opportunity has come up and its something I just can't turn down.

"The council is killing the high street. I was not allowed to advertise on the street but lot of other businesses advertise at the top of the road were. It means they get their name out there and I don't.

"And business rates are too high, it makes it more difficult for business owners, they need to make it more affordable."

Despite the problems she faced Holly said she will miss the cafe but said is excited to move on to her new job.

"I have met some of the best people ever and the staff I have got have been amazing," Holly said.

"I was really sad to close the cafe, I have made some friends for life and I will really miss it.

"But I am really looking forward to starting my new job and for the future."

A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council, said the council does not set business rates but is the collection agency for the Valuation Office.

"We have to consider planning applications for any sort of business," the spokesman said.

"If people want to open a cafe in a premises that has the right sort of designations then that is okay then they can consider the competition.

"We don't own the high street, it is a whole load of individual shops and people who own them so there is very little we can do to impact the high street.

"With regards to advertising, there are a whole host of rules and regulations, some businesses may not need consent to advertise."