Takeaway plan for 104-year-old garden shop rejected

Webb's of Bearwood begun trading in Smethwick in 1921

A council has turned down plans to replace a 104-year-old garden shop with a new takeaway.

Sandwell Council objected to the application which sough to convert part of the former Webb's of Bearwood garden shop in Three Shires Oak Road.

The authority said it was against opening new takeaways next to residential properties and the venture would add to parking problems in Bearwood.

The garden shop closed in June following the retirement of owners Pauline and Steve Davis. It had opened in 1921 by Pauline's grandfather, Oliver John Webb, and was passed down through five generations.

The work proposed in the takeaway application by Umar Aziz included a front extension, new shopfront and new metal shutters.

The planned opening hours were 11:00 to 23:30 every day and the takeaway would have created eight jobs, according to the application.

However, the council said the application went against its policy that no new takeaways should be built on the ground floor if it is next door to existing residential properties.

A report outlining the decision said "the proposed opening hours, impact of noise, disturbance, smell and litter, traffic generation and parking problems would be considered to adversely impact the residential dwelling next door and would not comply with [policy]."

"Therefore, from a policy perspective, although there are no issues with the proposed retail elements, the application would fail to meet the guidance in the hot food takeaway [planning document] and the principle of development would not be acceptable."

The takeaway would need at least three car parking spaces, the council added.

However, current on-street parking provision was already used by existing businesses and residential properties and there were no local public car parks that could be used instead, the council said.

It meant "the potential highway concerns for the level of development proposed would not be acceptable" in regards to highway safety and the impact on the existing network.