ReGlasgow

APPEAL Over Restaurant Plan Is To Councillors’ Taste — But With A Time Limit

4 July, 2020 | Food and Drink

COUNCILLORS have agreed that an empty Glasgow city centre shop can be turned into a restaurant, overturning a refusal decision by officials.

The change-of-use application for former florist premises at 80 West Nile Street had been lined up for the first Dr Noodles outlet in the city.

Council planners rejected it because a full-height flue to disperse cooking smells could not be provided. They said this would give rise to “the potential for odour nuisance” affecting the properties immediately above.

The applicant appealed and councillors on Glasgow’s planning local review committee reversed the decision and granted planning permission, subject to an additional condition, that restaurant use ceases after five years unless continuation has been approved by the planning authority.

This condition was impsed “to enable the planning authority to review the acceptability of the use of this property in the light of circumstances prevailing at that time”.

Planners had been opposed to the original proposal despite Dr Noodles being able to use an alternative method to deal with extraction of odours because they do not use oil for cooking.

Officials stated: “There would be nothing to prevent different cooking methods being undertaken within the premises at a later date, or another operator taking over and cooking different foods.”

An appeal statement by planning consultants Iceni had argued: “There are no residential properties located above the unit so the proposal would have no adverse impact on residential amenity. The proposed ventilation method would ensure there are no adverse amenity impacts upon the offices located above the unit.

“There is inadequate space for a full height flue to be erected at the site. If planning policy is to be implemented in this way, no restaurant could operate from this unit, despite there being several restaurant operations and cafes which do not require a flue but can operate with restricted cooking methods and using alternative ventilation methods.”

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