Former toilet block outside Preston North End stadium set to become seven-day takeaway

The city's planning committee is expected to give the thumbs up to the former public toilet block on Sir Tom Finney Way becoming a seven-day-a-week street food business at its meeting today (Thursday). Officers have recommended approval after deciding it would not impact on residents in the area.

The football club itself is among those opposing the development, saying it conflicts with its aim to promote a healthy lifestyle. Two local councillors are also objecting, citing concerns over traffic, anti-social behaviour, rubbish and noise. Yet the planning committee is being urged to allow it after the applicants agreed not to open until 5pm on weekdays - because it is within 400-metres of a secondary school.

The old toilets were turned into a refreshment bar in 2006. Conditions were attached restricting it to only trading when PNE were playing home games. But it closed in 2011 after a failed application to open every day. The business owners said it was "not viable" operating on less than 25 days of the season.

Now another application to re-open it every day from 11:30am to 9:30 pm was put to the council. It was re-assessed after talks with the city council, with a revised plan to open from 5pm to 10pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 10pm Saturday and Sunday submitted. Preston's Local Plan restricts daytime opening of takeaways which are close to schools.

Despite the weight of opposition to the scheme, planning officers have advised councillors at today's meeting to vote it through. They say the plans are acceptable because it will only open when a nearby high school has closed for the day. They also say a takeaway only opening until 10pm would "not have an unacceptable impact" on the lives of people living nearby.

On parking and traffic issues, the officers say that despite some objectors saying the 2011 application was thrown out due to the unit's close proximity to a busy road junction and a lack pf parking, the impact on the road network was not now considered to be severe.

Coun Zafar Coupland lodged an objection saying residents had raised issues and concerns about increased traffic, parking, road safety, rubbish, anti-social behaviour and an existing drug problem in the area. Those objections, she said, still existed despite the owner's decision not to open until 5pm on Monday to Friday.

Coun Siraz Natha said that the position with traffic had not changed since the first application was turned down in 2-11 - in fact it had potentially increased. He said that consultation letters had not been received by residents and PNE, and it was felt the proposal would lead to increased litter, traffic, anti-social behaviour and noise.

A report to today's meeting says three petitions with a total of 339 signatures had been submitted along with two letters of objection. Amongst the concerns raised were an increased presence of rats and that the proposal "may impact upon the health and safety of the children who visit the mosque." No regard, said the objectors, had "been given to previous petitions and views held by residents."