Takeaway to bring unit into ‘beneficial re-use’

PLANS have been unveiled to open a new takeaway in Leek town centre.

An application has been submitted to the District Council to change the use of a vacant unit at the Smithfield Centre on Ashbourne Road from a restaurant to a hotfood-takeaway.

The empty unit sits between the Laurel Inn Chinese restaurant and the Beyond the Pale bar - and was previously used as part of the restaurant.

Under the plans, submitted by Sammons Architectural LTD on behalf of ‘Mrs Nadarasa,’ the takeaway would be open from 10am until 2am Monday to Thursday, 10am until 3.30am Friday and Saturday and 10am until 2am on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Parts of the interior of the building would be changed to accommodate the change of use.

In a design and access statement supporting the plan, the developer said the business would be in a mainly commercial area.

The statement said: “The existing unit has previously been used in conjunction with the adjacent Chinese restaurant.

“It is not considered that the proposed development would be prejudicial to the reasonable enjoyment of any of the surrounding dwellings nor would it affect neighbouring land uses.

“It is considered to represent a sustainable form of development and would bring an existing vacant unit in a prominent shopping parade back into beneficial re-use.”

A decision is expected later this year.