A new pizza business is to open in a Solihull village, despite some residents' concerns that their shopping parade is already "saturated" with takeaways.
Around 165 people had objected to the application for a Domino's branch in Balsall Common , with many making the case that there were already too many hot food outlets clustered in the village centre.
Last night (Wednesday), several members of the council's planning committee said they fully understood the appetite for more traditional shops, such as greengrocers and bakers, but felt there was limited scope to refuse the plans.
The application for 209 Station Road, which until recently operated as a florist, was approved by a majority of six to three.
Cllr Helen Dean, from Balsall Parish Council, had earlier told members that opening yet another outlet would further dilute the variety of businesses and would mean that almost a quarter of premises offered hot food to take away.
"The development will cause significant further disturbance to residential properties," she said.
One resident, who lives within 100 yards of the unit, had asked "why on Earth" the village would want another similar facility and believed that the increasing population would be much better served by a mix of traders.
Fergus Sykes, speaking on behalf of the applicant, acknowledged the concerns about the volume of takeaways but argued there was no adopted policy in Solihull which set "any specific limits" on the acceptable number of outlets in the area.
He said that the pizza chain was also willing to accept the condition that it closed its doors at 11pm, half an hour earlier than had previously been requested.
Cllr Peter Hogarth (Con, Silhill) said he understood public concerns about the glut of similar businesses, but that in the current economic climate it was difficult to persuade many traders to open the sort of premises that some residents would prefer to see.
"As a former self-employed retailer for 30 years, you can see unfortunately there are very few people prepared to take up units," he said.
"The costs are high, the rents and rates are high and it's a hell of a gamble these days to open a new shop, especially if you're an independent person.
"At the moment it does appear that the only likelihood [of filling the empty unit] is someone who wants to provide a takeaway unit. I'm not keen on it, but I feel I've got to live in the real world.
"It's better to have a shop let, which will be a presentable unit ... than having an empty shop, which could get vandalised and boarded up and that doesn't do a high street any good at all."
Cllr Robert Grinsell (Con, Olton), a former Balsall Common resident, was also sympathetic, but said that he could not see any reasons from a planning perspective to refuse the application.
"How all of us here, in all of our shopping areas, would love a bakers, a butchers, a greengrocers. Unfortunately that's not what is happening out there."
Cllr Jim Ryan (Con, Bickenhill) argued that the committee should take the parish council's concerns on board as they were the "heartbeat" of the local community.
"I believe the balance is over-tipped in Balsall Common, when you look at the number of takeaways.
"I just cannot support it. Where you have got fish and chip shops already, you have got fast food outlets already, why continuously add to them? Where's the stop?
"We shouldn't throw the towel in, we should say enough's enough. We have ample amount of fast food takeaways."
Takeaway trials
Planning applications for takeaways have led to a number of pitched battles at sites around the borough, several of which were referenced during the latest debate.
Cllr Diana Holl-Allen (Con, Knowle) recalled the controversy when the first fish and chip shop opened in Solihull.
"Oh my goodness what a terrible thing that was," she said, paraphrasing the fears at the time.
Solihull Council previously won a fight to stop an unpopular proposal on the Warwick Road and an application for a mobile van in Lode Lane was withdrawn due to the volume of complaints.
However, James Carpenter, the local authority's chief planning officer, said that the current national planning policy was weighted in favour of economic growth and supporting jobs, which meant that applications would be approved "99 times out of 100".
He said this was evident in the failure to prevent a KFC drive-through opening on the Stratford Road, Shirley. In 2013 there had been an outcry over the site's proximity to Shirley Heath Junior School.
While originally refused by Solihull councillors, the plans were approved following a public inquiry the following year.
