Cannock takeaway plans deferred following highway and parking concerns
Plans to turn an old shop into a hot food takeaway have sparked concerns about road safety and the number of existing eateries already in the area.
Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee was told the plans would bring the unit in Cannock Road, Chadsmoor back into use. It has been vacant since May 2019 and was previously a domestic appliance repair workshop.
Council officers recommended the changes of use for approval.
But Councillor Christine Mitchell urged members to vote against the application on behalf of residents.
She said: “It is mainly a residential area, there are probably two or three businesses. It is the main road between Cannock and Hednesford and this business is at a very busy island. There are five main roads running into that island.
“I believe it is going to be extremely dangerous for vehicles entering and exiting that shop. There is land at the back but it is very narrow.”
Jim Malkin, who spoke in support of the plans, said the applicant had worked with planning officers to resolve concerns.
“The property has been marketed for retail uses without significant interest”, he added. “This will retain it for commercial use within the area.
“The scheme will have very little impact on the outside, apart from bringing it back into use. The extraction equipment will be at the back of the property.
“It will be open until 11pm and they will ensure there is appropriate signage asking patrons to keep noise to a minimum. They will provide bins outside to minimise littering.”
The county’s highways authority initially recommended the application be refused, but later raised no objections after a revised plan was submitted which included parking spaces. Committee members were concerned about highway and parking issues and voted to defer the application for further investigation.
Committee member Councillor Alan Pearson said: “From that island to Chadsmoor there are that many takeaways – now this is going to be there and over the road there is a restaurant. I honestly see problems with this and I’m seeing a problem with this car park.”
Cannock Chase has previously been identified as having the highest density of fast food outlets in Staffordshire. And a council committee has investigated obesity levels in the district as part of its scrutiny work.
But the meeting was told the council had no specific planning policy concerning takeaways.
