PLANS to open a hot food takeaway at the rear of a Grade II Listed town centre building have been rejected by Warrington planners.
The application relates to a vacant, ground-floor, self-contained unit of around 27 square metres in size, located at the rear of a four-storey building on the western side of Bridge Street in Warrington town centre. The building lies within the Bridge Street Conservation Area.
The ground floor of the building has permission for Class E commercial uses and, with the exception of the application site unit, it is currently occupied by the ‘Zeytin’ restaurant. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent has recently been granted for the conversion of the upper floors of the building to residential flats. The neighbouring building to the north of Patten Lane is occupied by a branch of McDonald’s. A vacant area of land lies on the western side of Barbauld Street and directly opposite the application site.
In rejecting the application, planners said there was insufficient information in relation to the potential noise impacts arising from the plant and equipment required for the operation of the hot food takeaway unit, in particular the extraction and abatement system. In the absence of this information, the proposed development fails to demonstrate that appropriate mitigation measures can be implemented to prevent adverse impacts on the health and quality of life of neighbouring occupiers, including future potential occupiers of the residential apartments on the upper floors of the application site building.
The proposed refuse storage arrangements for the hot food takeaway unit are deemed inadequate and would result in obstruction to the public highway.
In support of the application, the applicants stated that the planning application pertained to a change of use for the highlighted area of the ground floor only. There would be no physical alterations as a result of the change of use and no impact on the significance of the existing building or the wider conservation area in heritage terms. The proposal would also see the first investment into the Barbauld Street area of Warrington for some years as this area has, over the last 5-10 years, fallen into a state of repair with numerous vacant units and businesses creating an unattractive side street feel directly behind the vibrant Bridge Street and Time Square
development. This proposal looked to take the initial step in an attempt to revitalise the area, attracting customers and therefore potential for further investment to the area.
The proposed works have no implications for the significance of designated or non-designated heritage assets and there is no conflict with Policy DC2 of the adopted local plan or the Framework.
The proposal was to convert the area highlighted to a takeaway food facility, which would be ancillary to the approved and trading restaurant to the front. The aim is to provide a takeaway facility for the simpler foods that are served as part of the restaurant, providing extra flexibility and revenue opportunities to the business. The takeaway
element to the restaurant will serve foods such as pizzas and pastas so most of the cooking can take place within the proposed unit, however, some food may be prepared within the existing restaurant kitchen.
Extraction will be connected to the existing extraction system that is approved and functioning as part of the restaurant requiring no further external penetrations in the fabric of the unit in question. Please refer to the appended plans.
The takeaway is proposed to operate between the hours of 16:00 and 24:00 daily. The existing signage zones will be utilised for tenant-specific signage and will be subject to a further application; however, it is proposed that new signage will be illuminated and a new illuminated menu board is included adjacent the entrance to the unit.
It was therefore deemed that the works proposed as part of this application are minimal and have no impact on the listed status of the building and is therefore requested that this application is viewed as a further betterment to the approved uses at ground floor at present.
