'Pizza capital' fears scupper Middlesbrough takeaway plan

The planning committee was told there were plenty of other shops selling hot food in the town centre

Plans for a new takeaway in Middlesbrough have been rejected over concerns that the town is becoming a "pizza and parmo capital of the world".

An application for premises on Newport Crescent was recommended for approval, but turned down due to concern over the high number of existing takeaways.

Data from Public Health England shows almost 70% of adults in Middlesbrough are classed as overweight or obese.

That is higher than both the national and North East averages.

'Not harmful'

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the town centre's three Labour councillors objected to the plans over the impact of takeaways on health.

Conservative group leader, Councillor David Coupe, also agreed, telling the committee it was "yet another" hot food outlet, and there were plenty of other shops selling fast food. 

"It's adding to it and adding to it, where do you stop?

"We're just going to be known as the pizza and parmo capital of the world the way we're going."

The council's interim hot food takeaway policy, designed to manage the number of outlets in Middlesbrough, prohibits takeaways making up more than 10% of building uses in the town centre.

The plan met the hot food regulations, with the applications stating: "The proposed use is considered not to be harmful to the vitality and viability of the town centre as the proposal will not result in the proportion of hot food takeaways in the town centre exceeding 10%."

However, the vote to turn it down on the grounds of too many outlets in the town centre was backed 10-0 by the planning committee.