Plans for new Baillieston restaurant given green light

Mohsin Haq will be able to create a sit-in restaurant at 29 Main Street after council planners approved his latest proposal, which he said dealt with concerns raised around the previous plan.

His original application to run a takeaway was thrown out after claims there were already too many in the area. Planning officials ruled it would be detrimental to the area and to residential amenity.

Mr Haq’s plans stated: “A private car park has been formed on adjacent land owned by the applicant to service the new restaurant to ensure all parking is off street and does not cause parking issues to the existing street.

“These proposals are not for hot food takeaway, the proposals are for a sit-in restaurant. The development should not lead to additional litter given the sit-in nature of the proposals.”

He added his plans would provide “an option not currently available on Main Street to residents”.

There had been opposition to the takeaway plan from former councillor Elaine Ballantyne and Baillieston Community Council. Cllr Ballantyne had said there was a “major overprovision of takeaways” on Main Street and she believed another one would cause parking problems.

Stephen Love, from the community council, said members would prefer to reduce the number of takeaways. “It goes against health and well-being and doesn’t help with obesity,” he added.

However, Cllr Alex Kerr submitted a letter of support to the second application. “The application is one which is perfectly placed to help Baillieston Main Street take advantage of the changing ways in which people now use high streets,” he said.

“Instead of physical purchases being the major attraction for consumers to use their high streets, it is now largely experiences. Quality restaurants are well placed to offer just these kind of experiences and this application would add another such restaurant to the area.”

He added the proposal had the potential to regenerate Main Street and the applicant had gone “above and beyond” with community engagement following his initial rejection. “This engagement has built relationships with the community that will carry on should the planning application be successful.”

The application reveals the upper storey of the property will also form part of the restaurant, removing “any clash” in “regards to a residential property above”.