How 90 metres made all the difference to new Fulwood takeaway's opening hours

A former bike shop in Fulwood is to become a takeaway – to the distaste of almost 100 locals who objected to the proposal.
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Preston City Council’s planning committee served up permission for the conversion of the vacant Fulwood Cycles on Black Bull Lane.

Amongst the concerns raised by residents were that it would cause odour and noise – and be situated too close to nearby schools.

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“There are six schools within a quarter of a mile of the proposed takeaway,” said a Mr. Hammond, an objector addressing committee members.

The former Fulwood Cycles shop is set to become a takeaway (image: Google Streetview)The former Fulwood Cycles shop is set to become a takeaway (image: Google Streetview)
The former Fulwood Cycles shop is set to become a takeaway (image: Google Streetview)

“A chip shop is not needed within this residential area, as there a number of [others] half a mile down the road,” he added.

The outlet is located 490 metres away from the nearest secondary school, Fulwood Academy – meaning that it falls just outside a 400 metre zone surrounding all secondaries and sixth forms in Preston, within which applications for new takeaways are not approved unless they commit to not opening before 5pm.

However, environmental health officers have insisted that opening hours are restricted at the other end of the day. The applicant had initially sought to trade from 10am until 11pm seven days a week, but will now have to shut at 10pm Monday to Saturday and 9pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

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The committee heard that the hours were “broadly consistent” with other takeaways in the area.

Papers presented to the meeting also stated that a promised filtered extraction system, fitted with a silencer, would ensure that there was no “unacceptable adverse impact” on surrounding properties or the flat above the shop.

Highways bosses at County Hall raised no objections to the conversion plans, but committee member Jennifer Mein questioned the safety of the access to the five parking spaces at the front of the unit, because of its proximity to a zebra crossing.

Planning officer James Mercer said that the shop’s previous use would have highlighted any such problems.

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“If there were ever going to be any issues with people driving over the zebra crossing to access the front of Fulwood Cycles, I imagine that they would have been brought to the attention of Lancashire County Council [previously],” he said.

Committee member David Borrow said that he could think of three takeaways in his own area operating in remarkably similar locations to the one being proposed.

“All of them are in residential areas and have got just the odd shop near them – and I can’t see anything to distinguish this property from those in a way that would give us any reason not to grant this application.”

The committee agreed with Cllr Borrow’s assessment and approved the application unanimously.

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