A Leicester restaurant’s plan to offer takeaway service was denied due to its location near a primary school, raising community concerns.
Leicester: So, there’s this restaurant in Leicester that wanted to start a takeaway service. But guess what? They got turned down because they’re too close to a school. The owner, Pam Kooner, was hoping to expand Ciao Pizzeria on Hinckley Road.
Last year, they got the green light to change a garage into a restaurant. But part of that deal was that they couldn’t run a hot food takeaway without asking the council first.
When Pam applied for the takeaway, she didn’t ask for more parking spaces, which raised eyebrows. The local parish council was worried about traffic, saying the area is already packed most evenings.
Blaby District Council (BDC) also had concerns. They thought a takeaway would bring in too much foot traffic and noise, especially in the evenings when people are trying to relax at home.
Interestingly, the Local Highway Authority said the traffic impact wouldn’t be too bad since there are already shops nearby with parking. They felt it wouldn’t cause overflow parking on the streets.
But BDC was still worried about how close the restaurant is to Stafford Leys Primary School, which is about 430 meters away. They pointed out that planning rules say takeaways near schools should be avoided.
On top of that, BDC mentioned that Pam didn’t prove her odor control system would work well enough for both the restaurant and the takeaway. They were concerned it might create unpleasant smells for the neighbors.
So, that’s the scoop! The takeaway dream for Ciao Pizzeria is on hold for now.
