WHITCHURCH shoppers and visitors will have new access to hot and cold drinks and snacks after plans were approved by Shropshire Council.

A proposal for a takeaway hatch was submitted to the council last December for the sub-division and conversion of storage space at 29 High Street – next to the Civic Centre.

The application is from Saul Mellor, owner of Get Moving estate Agents in Whitchurch, and was approved by planning officer Melanie Williams last week.

OTHER NEWS:

A planning and design statement said: “The proposal of the part sub-division effectively converts the store into a usable shop floorspace for the sales of take-away coffees, teas, ice creams and items of a similar nature.

“No hot food is proposed to be sold on the site.

“The welfare and well-being of employees together with the required ancillary items needed to ensure the shop adheres to food hygiene etc, will be provided for by the same ownership/ run existing shop front at 29 High Street, which will provide staff welfare facilities, washing facilities and preparation facilities.

“The proposal will include the replacement of a pedestrian solid timber door into a pedestrian solid timber stable door and the proposed insertion of a new PPC aluminium (to match surrounding Civic Centre detailing), double-glazed window for serving through.

“New external insulation is to be applied, with a horizontal timber boarding applied to match the surrounding Civic Centre detailing.”

In her report, Ms Williams confrimed that there were public comments received for the application and said that the application is not harmful to the town.

She said: “The proposal would not result in undue harm caused to the amenities of neighbouring occupiers.

“The alterations proposed to allow the conversion of this unit are considered appropriate and would also lead to an enhancement of the site in terms of its visual appearance.”

She added: “The opening hours of the proposed use have been submitted as part of the proposal and are set as 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Get in touch

Share your views on this story by sending a letter to the editor. To get in touch email news@whitchurchherald.co.uk, or fill in the form on this section of our website.

“These opening hours are considered suitable for a town centre location and given the close proximity of the premises to existing restaurants and public houses would not result in undue harm to residential amenity. It is also noted that there is separate environmental health legislation in place to address any statutory noise nuisances.

“It is not considered likely that the levels of activity associated with the small unit shall pose detrimental harm in terms of disturbance to neighbouring residents.

“As a generally mixed use area residential residents of High Street are already accustomed to the levels of activity associated with non-residential uses.”