A revised planning application (20160833) has been submitted to Broadland District Council for a change of use for the former Reepham Diner/Sweet Shop on Townsend Corner, Reepham, to a restaurant.
The application, on behalf of Muhammed Karakus of Norwich, is for a change of use for Unit 1, Sun House, Market Place, from A1/A3 (shop and restaurant) to A3 (restaurant).
This replaces an earlier planning application (20151564), which proposed a restaurant/hot food takeaway outlet. However, this was withdrawn after indications were that this would be refused on highways issues and the lack of facilities for storing waste.
If approved, the new business would employ two full-time staff with opening hours of 11 am – 10 pm, seven days a week.
It is not clear what type of food the “restaurant” will be offering, but according to information provided by the applicant’s agent for the previous planning application, the lease allows for the sale of pizzas, including starters, sides, salads, pasta, deserts and drinks – but not the sale of burgers and chips.
Apart from not specifying the business as offering takeaway food, the new application appears to be essentially the same as the earlier withdrawn submission, although it does give details of a new ventilation system, with all ductwork to be concealed within the roof space.
Addressing a meeting of Reepham Town Council on 8 June, local resident Colin Prince pointed out that this “seems to be the same application” as before with takeout food not excluded, adding that if approved this would result in a loss of amenity for residents.
He said the applicant had not addressed the previously raised concerns regarding storage of waste containers, parking and access to Back Street, as well as cooking odours and noise from the ventilation system. “This is not a good location for such a business,” Mr Prince concluded.
In objecting to the revised planning application, the Town Council repeated its earlier objections to the proposals. Councillors noted that it was likely that the business would be also used as a takeaway, despite its principal use being nominated as a restaurant, and that there had been “no significant attempt to address the issues raised last time”.
See our earlier stories: