No to another take-away in Kings Road

1.04.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 29th Jun 2009

Graham Pooley, Jude Deakin, Robin Stevens and Stephen Robinson near Kings Road shops

The campaign against yet another take-away in Kings Road is stepping up. The local Liberal Democrat councillors for the area (Marconi ward) Graham Pooley and Jude Deakin have told the local papers how opposed they are to this.

Cllr Pooley told the Essex Chronicle, following their article the previous week:

"It is not the Council's Planning Committee that is recommending approval of this, but its officers. Had the Chronicle been at the meeting it would have heard the voices of many Councillors arguing for refusal.

"The Committee (let alone Full Council) did not agree to "delay granting the approval", but cautiously deferred its decision, asking for clearer evidence as to whether, instead, a continued retail use for the unit could realistically be expected.

"Why would this be better? Local Councillors and residents argue that this unit should remain available as a shop, useful to the community at large.

"There are two takeaway establishments here already which are popular and well run, but a third is not needed and would detract from our efforts to revitalise this parade. A working group is actively exploring how the currently vacant units can be brought back into use, and is confident that there are several retail uses that would be viable, and meet genuine local needs and preferences for this part of Chelmsford.

"The Council's planning policies expressly enable the loss of neighbourhood shopping facilities to be resisted; the arguments in this case are perfectly adequate for the Committee to go against the officers' recommendation when the proposal returns to the Committee in July, and so allow time for a suitable alternative to a takeaway to be finalised. If any readers have specific suggestions or proposals to add to ours, or would like more detail of our work in progress, we

would welcome hearing from them."

Cllr. Graham Pooley is contactable on g.pooley@cmld.org.uk or 07940 576825