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FAMILIES FIGHT BACK OVER MORE TAKEAWAYS IN FAST FOOD CENTRAL
FAMILIES in a fast food hotspot have rejected takeaway.
Chillingham Road, Heaton, already houses tens of takeaways within less than a mile, with Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisine on offer until the early hours.
The application, for a new hot food outlet at 195 Chillingham Road, has prompted a string of objections, with neighbours concerned about the waste and traffic issues another takeaway might bring – as well as the health concerns.
Helen Lewis, of nearby Jesmond Vale Terrace, said: “We have a significantly high number of takeaways already. The area would be better served with other services and retail outlets.
“Takeaways and food outlets in general increase waste and are more likely to attract pests and vermin due to their waste. 80-90% of Chillingham Road is food-related and a high proportion of these are fast food or takeaways.
“It does not give a nice impression and in a time when we are supposed to be encouraging health and wellbeing it’s not best to place yet another outlet right next to a school.”
Chillingham Road resident Dominic Cullen added: “There are more than enough takeaways on Chillingham Road already.
“This has lead to a terrible litter problem which the council has either been unable to address. We need a balanced and varied array of shops.”
South Heaton Councillor JohnPaul Stephenson said he hoped it wouldn’t be long before wannabe takeaway owners “got the message” that Heaton didn’t need another takeaway.
But he urged residents to support local businesses if they hoped to see any other sort of applications made for the street. He said: “I have objected to two takeaways on Chillingham Road this year, and both were refused by the council.
“Sooner or later the message will be clear to property owners that Heaton residents want a greater diversity of shops. “People tell me that they want a butchers and bakers, like the old days. But people are only going to invest if we support the existing independent businesses; if they see shops busy, then they will come. “Most (if not all) of the business units on Chillingham Road are privately owned, so the council’s hands are tied.” The proposed site stands just a few hundred metres from the Chillingham Road Primary School, but does not fall foul of council rules against new takeaways close to schools, as these regulations only apply to secondary schools.
Planners do have powers to restrict the opening of new takeaways in areas which already have an ‘over-concentration’ of such businesses. The proposed site doesn’t sit directly next to two or more other takeaways, though, and there are two non-food shops between it and the nearest takeaway, meaning it doesn’t violate rules against takeaway ‘clustering’ either.
And, some residents were less opposed to the proposal.
At time of writing, the application had received one supportive comment, against 13 objections logged.
Alistair Bruce, of Chillingham Road, said: “The street and the area in general will benefit from added choice in the takeaway food market.”
There are more than enough takeaways on Chillingham Road already. Dominic Cullen