Edinburgh shopping centre's plans for 14 food container units approved despite objections from locals
An Edinburgh shopping centre's plans for 14 new food container units have been approved by the council, despite objections from locals.
The units will be placed in the car park of Westside Centre in Wester Hailes, after the plans re-submitted in April by owners U&S Investment Ltd were approved by the council’s planning department on July 9.
The applicant withdrew its original plans on April 24 to erect the 20ft ‘F&B’ containers at the car park to the rear of Westside Centre, formerly Westside Plaza in Wester Hailes. The same day, it re-submitted the plans, this time omitting a proposal to erect a totem pole sign at the car park entrance highlighting the new units.
The revised plans will still see six food container units placed immediately at the rear of the shopping centre, with a further eight at the south side of the car park. The new units will be rented out to food takeaway businesses to sell various food to shoppers and locals.
Approving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposals shall not have a detrimental impact on the function of the local centre due to their small scale, location within the car park and their general dissimilarity in use when compared to the prevailing retailing function of the 'Westside Centre'.
“It is also clear from the explanatory text for LDP Policy Re 5 that there is support, as a means to enhance the vitality and viability of local centres, for a "flexible approach to change of use applications in local centres provided the use will be beneficial to the local community such as providing services, hot food or entertainment facilities".
“Whilst not a change of use of existing unit, the addition of a small scale hot food takeaway (HFT) development within a car park would ultimately constitute this.
“The proposals accord with the Development Plan and there are no compelling material considerations for not approving them.”
Each unit will have 15m2 floor area, with the 14 units proposed totalling 210m2 floor area. The plans also include installing new bollards at either end of the car park in front of the proposed new food container units. As well as associated landscape and ground works.
Four objections were received for this application. Matters raised included the principle of hot food takeaways, transport and loss of car parking, the impact on amenity by way of noise or odour, and the impact on air quality.
Iceni Projects Ltd, on behalf of Home Bargains, which has a store at Westside Centre, said: “Reduction of car parking spaces may deter shoppers, directly impacting retail performance at Home Bargains and other businesses within the centre.”
Adding: “The introduction of food units will inevitably lead to increased levels of litter and food waste, raising serious concerns about hygiene, pest control, and overall site cleanliness.
“Given the absence of a waste management strategy in the planning documents, there is concern that appropriate measures may not be effectively implemented to mitigate the associated environmental impacts.”
While, local resident Claire Hind said: “Huge concerns about the litter this will bring to the area and an increase in the rat problem that already exists there with the discarded food.”
And, fellow local resident David Hamill added: “The area is close to residential properties and would cause extra noise and extra traffic which is not right for the area.”
The applicant now has three years to carry out the approved works submitted in the plans at Westside Centre in Wester Hailes.