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St Botolph’s Street get soon get even more takeaways (From Gazette)
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St Botolph’s Street get soon get even more takeaways
9:40am Tuesday 9th February 2010
COLCHESTER’S “kebab alley” could be in line for more takeaways under changes to council planning policy.
Colchester Council is considering raising the number of non-retail shops allowed in certain parts of the town centre, including St Botolph’s Street.
Current planning rules state 60 per cent of units in St Botolph’s Street must be used for shops.
In addition, no more than two takeaways are allowed in a row.
But, the council’s Local Development Framework proposes lowering the shops-only ratio to 50 per cent in St Botolph’s Street, Head Street, High Street and St John’s Street, and raising the number of takeaways to three in a row.
Some councillors and residents fear the changes could open the floodgates for applications for more takeaways and bars in St Botolph’s Street, already a hotspot for fast food shops.
Andrew Ellis, Conservative spokesman for planning and regeneration, said: “I’m quite happy to promote a cafe culture and restaurant and bar culture, but not at the expense of being a prestigious retail centre.
“We know we are already losing shoppers to Ipswich and Chelmsford.
“I just feel this is another way of lowering the bar, and we might not be pleased with what we get. Too many takeaway resturants can lower the perceived quality of an area.”
Henry Spyvee, Castle ward councillor, said: “It obviously is a danger, but, at the same time, in some streets the shops are empty and a slightly lower limit might help bring them back into operation.
“I shall be watching this and the council will genuinely listen to what people have to say.”
Lyn Barton, councillor responsible for planning and regeneration, said: “We feel it gives the planning department greater flexibility and enables us to adopt a consistent approach, while maintaining the vitality and viability of the town centre. ”
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Your Say YourColchester
seco2, Colchester says...
10:01am Tue 9 Feb 10
Juno, Elmstead says...
10:51am Tue 9 Feb 10
Those who make decisions that vastly affect the majority are not those who walk round and participate in the ordinary, everyday life of the Town.
They drive through fast on their way to meetings, making judgments on the "lifestyle" of others based on knee jerk reactions. I would truly respect a Councillor or other official who was seen daily walking through the main streets, purchasing one or two items from local and locally owned shops and stores, and really, really listening to the views of those who live in the area.
We're a couple of months away from the election frenzy, both local and national. Here's a novel idea:- get out and LISTEN, take part in everyday life, don't think you have become better than your fellow citizens. Don't make judgments on people. Empathise.
Above all, consider what it would be like to live on any one of the streets you represent, including late at night when decent working people are trying to sleep, and early in the morning when they have to trawl through nauseating rubbish.
Taximan01, Colchester says...
1:37pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Smouldering Ewok, Colchester says...
1:48pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Also citizens are fined for dropping cigarettes on the ground and walking their dogs in the wrong area.
Then on the other, the need to install more kebab/fast food outlets, clubs and pubs due to financial concerns.
Unbelievable!
Regarding the mess this creates from drunks who don't give a ****, what happens to the littering laws after 10pm? Seems to me that they are completely ignored.
Hey all you 20 - 30 year olds come to Colchester and have a great night out, free flip flops if you lose your shoes, free foil cape in case you get cold, feel free to vomit in our streets and feel free to drop your kebab left overs where ever you want, feel free to shout,scream and use abusive language to all, feel free to kick rubbish through our streets, feel free to keep local residents awake at all hours while you have a fun time.
Colchester the oldest veritable free for all town in England.
One rule for us and another for them.
You might as well put 20 - 30 year olds on the Council to boot.
**** hypocrites!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!
Jess, maine/colchester says...
2:47pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Citizen 139, Colchester says...
4:21pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Taximan01 wrote:I think you mean Comical Ali - http://theliberati.n
Anyone having deja vu? remember Baghdad Bob (Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf)? The Ex Iraqi Information Minister appears to have moved to Colchester & is working under the secret guise as a planning officer, completley deluded & no idead what's going on in the real world. If people think it's a mess on Sat\Sun morning, then pop down there with your riot gear & stab vests on for Fri\Sat night time & you will see just what an incredible job the street cleaners do at night. That entire road needs to have all kebab shops closed down, it attracts virtually every drunken moron in town to it, like flies round a cows a..e,. the police hate the place, as do the RMP & every cabbie avoids it like the plague. it has to be the worst place to be at night & one of the scruffiest places during the day.
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ontent/comical_ali.j
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romantic, Colchester says...
4:51pm Tue 9 Feb 10
How do I get to be a planner? It sounds like wonderful fun. Are these people serious? We've got the ongoing fiasco of the VAF, just last week the "Spatial Planning Officer" announced that the North Station area would need to be completely changed once again. And now the fantastic idea that more greasy kebab and chicken joints will in some way make the town a better place.
"The vitality and viability of the town centre" would be better maintained by cutting the crippling business rates which are what is actually forcing the smaller shops out. Queen Street is a mess at 1.00 in the morning and adding more fast food shops is not going to enhance the place.
When do we get consulted about this stuff? Or is this another deal done in secret because the planning dept / councillors consider that the population is too stupid to possibly grasp the wonderful benefits of another mad plan?
The image of a nice "cafe culture" is appealing, but the people who will sit sipping beer outside at 8.00 in the evening are not the ones who will be spewing and shouting their way down Queen Street in the early hours. Those who would say that Queen Street is in any way a cafe culture are not there when the clubs are kicking out.
Sheer incompetence at every turn!
PROOFREADER, COLCHESTER says...
5:36pm Tue 9 Feb 10
the many seedy take aways and restaurants the town has not allowing more to open! The town centre is a filthy hole at the best of times. Opening more places to eat will not win back shoppers who go to other towns. Lyn Barton get real woman, you should be sacked. Colchester is being degenerated not regenerated.
Voter99, England says...
5:45pm Tue 9 Feb 10
gavin, colchester says...
5:52pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Isn't "flexibility" precisely the opposite of "consistent approach"?
No wonder we end up in the mess we're in.
seco2, Colchester says...
7:24pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Flip Flop, Copford says...
10:53pm Tue 9 Feb 10
brooks, colchester says...
1:22pm Wed 10 Feb 10
Jess, maine/colchester says...
1:51pm Wed 10 Feb 10
Road ahead – shops and eateries in St Botolph’s Street
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RitchieHicks, Newtown says...
9:56am Tue 9 Feb 10