Plans for a new fish & chip shop adjacent to the Co-operative convenience store on the former Parkway Tavern site in Stoke Gifford have been given the green light, despite an objection from the parish council.
The proposed takeaway would occupy what was the commercial kitchen area of the former public house, with a new shop front being constructed on the side of the building that faces the main road.
Opening hours stated in the planning application are 11.30am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on Sundays and bank holidays.
Stoke Gifford Parish Council raised an objection to the application on the grounds of the site’s proximity to school and youth facilities, claiming:
“The New Local Plan Policy PSP31 specifically states that takeaways within 400m of schools and youth facilities will not be permitted where they are likely to influence behaviour harmful to health or the promotion of healthy lifestyles. This proposed application is within 400m of the St Michaels School, Army cadets, The Medical Centre and possibly the St. Michaels playgroup.”
However, South Gloucestershire planning officers overruled the objection, saying that the referenced Local Plan document and the policies within it are “at early draft stage and have not yet gone to an Examination in Public or been tested for soundness”, adding that “[consequently,] very little weight can be given to this proposed policy at this stage”.
Officers agreed that adequate parking exists within the existing car park to accommodate any additional demand, which they anticipated would generally be of a short term nature.
Photo: Archive image of the Co-operative store site (during conversion in 2013), showing location of the proposed takeaway unit.
Related link: Planning application (South Gloucestershire Council)
As normal the parish council object with very valid grounds with “The new local plan policy” and south glos planning officers nod it through, who wrote the policy (south glos council i presume) and what’s the point of it if it is going to be ignored, local politics are a joke their is no local voice.