'Warm banks' for Acocks Green
Liberal Democrat Councillor working for Acocks Green Learn more
by Roger Harmer on 30 March, 2011
At the last Acocks Green Ward Committee (9th March 2011) a petition was submitted (and forwarded to the Planning Committee), signed by nearly all residents of Olton Croft and many more, particularly from Lincoln Road and other roads nearby, objecting to a planning application submitted on behalf of the restaurant at 71 Lincoln Road, which is at the junction of Lincoln Road and Olton Croft.
The planning application was for the renewal of a temporary extension of opening hours, from 7am to 7pm Mondays to Saturdays, to 7am to 11.30pm Monday to Saturdays and in addition, 10am to 7pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Residents will be disappointed to hear that the planning application has been granted. However the approval was limited to one further year (until 23/3/12), after which further permission will have to be sought, so residents will have another chance to comment to the planning committee on the impact of the restaurant’s opening hours then.
2 Comments
As a resident of Olton Croft, I must express my disappointment in the granting of the application. I was advised that a hearing would take place to discuss this matter, but clearly this did not happen. I cant believe that the concearns of the residents of Lincoln Road and Olton Croft were not taken into consideration. Parking and access to specially Olton Croft is a nightmare which will only be aggrevated with the opening of the restaurant/ bistro. What next? Will they be applying for a alchool license? So that we are left with cars parked overnight obstructing our roads even more. I wish we had a councillor who has the “people” best interests at heart!!!!!
I understand your concerns and have spoken to the local planning officer to get his views on the matter. What he said was that they are indeed concerned about the potential impact on local residents and that is why they only gave a one year temporary approval. He also confirmed that any application to renew the approval next year would take into account the actual impact of operation of the cafe on local residents. However the point he made is that they would have found it very difficult not to give the same temporary approval that they gave before, given that the circumstances of the application had not changed. Effectively the trial period has been delayed by the delay in opening the cafe. Not to give approval, when no circumstances had changed, would have opened up the Council to an appeal, with its costs, which would have probably have succeeded.
Please be assured that your councillors will be keeping a very close eye on the cafe, if and when it does finally open and will take forward any complaints by residents, and ensure that any problems are fully taken into account if and when a further application is submitted to continue the extended opening hours after next March.