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A5 Consent - Takeaway Madness

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Author Topic: A5 Consent - Takeaway Madness  (Read 5428 times)
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yetion1
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« on: June 23, 2008, 10:20:06 pm »

19.06.2008

 

Ref: planning application number 08/00860/ful, 51 Station Lane

 

 

The above mentioned application is the final straw to the negative input so far received to help towards the regeneration of Featherstone by planning law.

For over 6 years many volunteers and councillors have worked tirelessly to improve station lane and Featherstone. This extends to the newly released Featherstone master plan that took a year to produce and almost £82,000.00 in costs. Unfortunately our description of “a regeneration area” is now working against us. This now hinders the master plan and leaves a cloud over Featherstone.

Station lane has all ready got 14 fast food outlets with 1 more passed making 15. This application would make 16. If you add 3 other sites that all ready have permission then you can understand the concern of 16 plus takeaways in a quarter mile.

Some may consider that it is unfair for the chamber to condemn new business. Our decision is based on pure saturation that leaves many shops closed all day and only opening at night as takeaways. This is not helping the regeneration of the town as it is becoming commercially un-friendly due to the spread of shops. Outside businesses looking at Featherstone now are being put off because of this fact. The problem is not only in Featherstone but also prominent in Pontefract, Hemsworth Market street, Barnsley road South Elmsall, Osett town centre and Wakefield town centre. This is not to mention the 5PM smell in station lane, the drainage problems with fat and the rubbish that the council pay to clear. The anti social behaviour from youths, who congregate in front of some of these, ranges from graffiti to bricks through car windows. Station lane and other wards are becoming a lesser place to wish to be in on an evening and to trade during the day due to this.

So serious are the efforts towards regeneration that the coal regeneration trust who are due to start work hear for the next 3 years hands on, have also voiced their concern as to has the WMDC regeneration department.

I have pleaded with the planning board to take any steps they can to place a maximum number of A5 units in station lane. The ideal number would 10. How we get there is unknown. What is known is that 1 more is the end of any hope of regeneration.

 

 THERE IS ALSO A NEW PROBLEM! The British local economy including Featherstone and its surrounding wards are diving to commercial rock bottom. What some profiteer landlords that don’t give a dam about the area have worked out is that if they apply for planning permission for A5 consent ( or fast food outlet) that they can be almost certain to rent the property within 24 hours. You have to ask why 24 hours. So many takeaways cannot be profitable. Sue me for saying that I am aware of at lest 1 takeaway that receives little or no custom yet has operated for the past 4 years. In the present climate I can understand this with many empty shops around. The down side is a potential for every shop to do the same. THE PROBLEM AND A LIMIT MUST BE ADDRESSED AND SET.

 

There is a solution? Wakefield council has the power and resources to “opt out”. This option would be a policy implemented by WMDC that could regulate types of business and the volume of premises. This has been done in other areas and MUST be implemented NOW in Featherstone as a matter of urgency.

I await a speedy reply,
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