Parking problem hits restaurant scheme (From Warrington Guardian)

Parking problem hits restaurant scheme

PLANNERS have turned down an application to transform a canalside cottage in Middlewich into a restaurant, bar and tourist information office.

The proposal was refused at a meeting of Congleton Borough Council's planning committee last Monday night, when members decided that an adequate number of parking spaces had not been provided.

They also pointed out that no information had been given in respect of an odour treatment and filtration system to serve the proposed restaurant.

Middlewich Heritage Society and the town council both supported the proposed application.

But a spokesman for the planning committee outlined the application and explained why it had been turned down.

He said: "The application proposed the extension and change of use to a restaurant of a detached cottage owned by British Waterways in Leadsmithy Street. It is situated close to the Trent and Mersey Canal.

"A further smaller building on the same site, but closer to the canal towpath, was proposed to be converted to a tourist information centre.

"A total of 25 spaces were proposed to serve both the restaurant use and also an existing joinery workshop in a two-storey building."

He explained: "Following an examination of the plans in the course of the normal consultation procedure undertaken in respect of all planning applications, the district highway engineer expressed concerns regarding the proposed car parking layout and about vehicle movements into and out of the site which would need to be resolved before he was able to recommend approval. They were not and so it was recommended for refusal.

"The head of environmental health also requested that full details of the proposed odour filtration and extraction system be submitted prior to any permission being granted. These were not received either."

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