Plans for new takeaway rejected under new obesity policy

In August, a ‘change of use’ application was lodged for 18 Front Street in the Concord area.

According to planning documents, the site formerly operated as a butchers shop but has been vacant for several months.

New takeaway plans, which included an extraction system, sparked three objections from neighbours over noise, odour and traffic concerns.

This week, Sunderland City Council’s planning authority rejected the plans.

Local childhood obesity data, national planning rules and draft policies in the council’s emerging Core Strategy and Development Plan (CSDP) helped inform the decision.

As the CSDP is in an ‘advanced stage of preparation’ following planning inspectorate-led hearings earlier this year, council planners said it should be given “significant weight”.

This includes a bespoke policy to restrict numbers of new hot food takeaways in certain areas of Sunderland.

The aim is to ensure the “vitality and viability” of these districts to help tackle public health challenges.

In the case of the Concord district, planning officers raised concerns about childhood obesity figures and 15 takeaways in the area- equating to 14% of all units.

The decision to reject the plans was published on Tuesday November 5 and set out the reasons for refusal.

It reads: “The proposed use would be within a local centre where the proportion of units accounted for by A5 [hot food takeaway] uses would exceed 10%, and where the previous ground floor retail use was in operation within the last 24 months.

“The proposed use would also be in a ward where the obesity level of year 6 pupils is greater than 21%.

“The use would therefore fail [to] ensure the vitality and viability of a designated local centre and would not support or improve the health and well being of the local community.”

Other councils in the North East have already been using similar policies as grounds to reject plans for takeaways.