Residents win takeaway fight

Newarthill residents have won a fight to prevent another hot food takeaway opening in the village.
North Lanarkshire councillors had refused planning permission for the takeaway.North Lanarkshire councillors had refused planning permission for the takeaway.
North Lanarkshire councillors had refused planning permission for the takeaway.

Nearly 150 people signed a petition backing North Lanarkshire Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a new shop in Carfin Road.

And now an appeal against that has been thrown out by a Scottish Government reporter.

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Manny Hussein wanted to convert an empty shop at 56 Carfin Road into two units, one being a takeaway. He already has a general store nearby.

Planners recommended approval, but councillors voted 12-5 against and that decision has been upheld by Government reporter Timothy Brian.

He said: “There are already three hot food takeways in a very short section of Carfin Road which is otherwise overhwelmingly residential in characdter.

“There is strong evidence that local residents already experience problems of noise and disturbance, litter and indiscriminate parking in the evenings.

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“Takeaways attract custom in the late evening when patrons are liable to congregate and generate noise at a time when residents might reasonably expect to enjoy relative peace and quiet.

“I am concerned that residents on either side of the appeal premises could be disturbed in this manner, particularly as there is little screening.”

Mr Brian said he accepted that no parking is allowed on Carfin Road and Mr Hussein intended to provide car parking for customers.

But he added: “There remains the risk that some customers will merely park at the roadside outside which appears to happen with patrons of the existing takeaways despite the presence of a public car park next door.”

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The reporter also accepted bins would be installed outside the takeaway, but pointed out: “Another characteristic of hot food takeaways is that customers often eat their meal in transit which can result in litter being discarded some distance from the outlet.”