Nicola Littlejohn, 50, was left rocked after being told she could see he business closed down. Braintree Council told her they had received a number of complaints and that she would have to apply for planning permission to keep her business open. Nicola runs Violet the Vintage Caravan – a tea room operating out of a caravan on the driveway of her home in Swan Street, Sible Hedingham. The council received complaints about increased traffic and footfall after Nicola opened her business in October last year. Nicola launched a petition to drum up support for her planning application. More than 1,900 people have signed.