COUNCILLORS have refused plans to turn a shop into a takeaway in Great Horton, arguing that there is already an “over concentration” of fast food businesses in the area.

A planning application to convert 501 Great Horton Road, currently a property business, into a hot food takeaway were submitted to Bradford Council by Anwar Abdul Rehman in September.

There had been petitions both against and for the change, with objectors raising concerns over an increase of traffic to the site and the proliferation of takeaways in the area.

The application went before the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee yesterday morning, and planning officers had suggested the plans be approved.

A previous application for the new business, listed on the plans as being a roti house, had been refused due to plans for a large flue to the rear of the building.

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The external flue had been removed from the latest plan.

Members were told that the unit was based in the Great Horton District Centre, and so was exempt from a Council policy blocking new takeaways from opening within 400 metres of a school or leisure facility.

This policy, officers said, only applied to areas that were outside local centres (town centres/village centres etc). There were a number of schools close to the site - the meeting was told.

There was no designated parking, but members were told there was on street parking.

Singh Bansal, a resident of the area, spoke against the plans at the meeting.

He said there were already a number of takeaways in the area, and a new fish and chip shop was soon to open on Southfield Lane. They were causing issues such as litter, he told the committee.

Committee members echoed his concerns the number of take aways was effecting the Great Horton area.

Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) said: “At the last meeting of the Bradford South Area Committee, which I chair, we had a Bradford South police inspector who was really concerned about the Great Horton area and the issue of youths congregating around ‘too many takeaways.’

“There are massive issues in this area of anti social behaviour.”

Councillor Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) said: “I agree, there are too many takeaways, and they do cause anti social behaviour. Other businesses are struggling because of this issue, and it is causing a lot of problems. There are too many and I think we should go against officers’ recommendations.”

Councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) suggested the Council needed to toughen up its policy on take aways, and said this new business would impact the amenity of local residents.

Chair Councillor David Warburton (Lab, Wyke) said: “There is an over-concentration of fast food outlets in this area.

“There is an excess and abundance of these in this geographical location.”

Members then voted to refuse the plans.