THE man behind a planned dessert parlour in Shipley has spoken of his frustration that the plans may be refused due to a debate about a dropped kerb.

Tomorrow Bradford Council will decide whether to allow Sajid Sadiq to convert part of a vacant car showroom in Shipley into a cafe/restaurant specialising in ice cream and desserts.

But the plans for the old Colin Appleyard unit on Otley Road have been recommended for refusal by highways officers, who fear the new business could lead to cars parking on the kerb.

They point to the fact that cabs regularly use the dropped kerb in front of the building to drive onto the pavement when picking people up from the neighbouring Old House At Home pub.

Traffic concerns may lead to dessert parlour plan being refused

The Council’s Keighley and Shipley Area planning panel will be told that officers had requested that Mr Sadiq build a small wall to prevent cars from accessing the building from Otley Road, and that he pay to raise a dropped kerb outside the property - which currently allows cars to pull onto the pavement.

Mr Sadiq told the Telegraph & Argus that he does not believe a private business should be forced to improve public highway - which is the responsibility of Bradford Council.

He said: “I had agreed to do everything else the planners suggested, but they also want me to sort out the dropped kerb.

“It is a public footpath, it doesn’t belong to us. I’m already investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in this business, I can’t afford to spend lots more on works to a public highway as well. It doesn’t seem fair I’ve been asked to do this.

“It just seems like the Council don’t want people to invest in anything.

“We’d be bringing jobs and investing around £400,000 into this area.

“The problem is already there - we are not going to be creating a new problem. If the Council don’t want people to park on this kerb, then they need to do something about it themselves.”

He said he has the support of Shipley councillors as well as Wibsey councillor David Green (Lab) - who is his local ward councillor.

Cllr Green said: “I think the conditions the highways officers have suggested could make the parking situation in that area potentially worse.”

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “A decision on this application will be made this Wednesday at the Area Planning Panel.

“When a business applies for planning approval it must take account of the potential impacts on nearby roads.

“Parking demands for a dessert parlour are clearly very different to that of a car showroom.

“The original kerbs were designed to allow cars to drive in and out of the car business. Officers believe that leaving the dropped kerbs in place would encourage cars to park on the pavement.”

“In the interests of highways safety, officers have asked the applicant to install full kerbs to discourage illegal parking.”

Separate plans to turn the neighbouring building into a shop and petrol station have yet to be decided by the Council.

The panel meets in Keighley Town Hall at 10am on Wednesday, June 26.