Agenda item

Agenda item

121410/JO/2018 - McDonalds 312-316 Barlow Moor Road Manchester M21 8AY.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached. 

Minutes:

The planning application site is located in Chorlton District Centre on Barlow Moor Road. The application relates to an established restaurant with the frontage to Barlow Moor Road, to the south there are established commercial uses, to the west are residential homes fronting Barlow Moor Road. To the immediate north of the existing building lies a commercial use fronting Barlow Moor Road, to the north east separated by a car park lies residential property at 324 Barlow Moor Road, beyond that lies Norbreck Avenue, immediately to the east separated by a car park lies residential property at Park Place.

 

Consent was granted under application 034033 for the McDonalds in 1989, the permission was subject to condition 8 which restricted the hours of opening to Sundays to Thursday: 8.00 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays: 8.00 a.m. to Midnight. This is the first application since 1989 to vary the hours of opening condition.

 

It is now proposed that the opening hours are extended as follows:  

Monday to Sunday - 6.00 am to 12 midnight. This would have the effect of allowing the addition of two hours in the morning and half an hour of opening hours in the evening Sunday to Thursday.

 

The application was originally submitted requesting 5.00am to midnight Sundays to Thursdays and 5.00am to 01.00am Friday and Saturday, but following consultation responses McDonald’s altered their planning application and a further consultation process was undertaken.

 

Officers confirmed that an additional condition restricting servicing hours to those approved under the original consent would be added, should the Committee be minded to approve the application.

 

The applicant spoke to the Committee and said that surrounding businesses of a similar nature, had similar or longer opening hours than those applied for.  For example, Tesco Express opens 6am to 11pm, KFC restaurant opens 10.30am to 01.00am (12.30am on a Sunday), Marks and Spencers Food opens 7.00am (8.00am on a Sunday) to 10.00pm.

 

She added that customers during the morning hours typically accessed the site as part of their commute, so would be very unlikely to exhibit anti-social behaviour or to create noise nuisance.  She also said that the site was on a busy main road, and the longer hours were designed to attract road users, so no increase in traffic was anticipated as the vehicles were already on the road.

 

The applicant also told the Committee that a comprehensive noise impact assessment had been submitted as part of the application process.  This report was submitted on the basis of the hours originally applied for, the hours are now more restrictive and the impacts would therefore be less than those assessed.

 

The applicant also explained that McDonalds was committed to ensuring that there would be minimal impact on residents, and would work proactively to ensure that this was the case.

 

With regard to resident’s concerns about increased litter, she explained that in addition to regular litter picks around the site, they work with local Councillors and undertake a wider monthly litter pick, often alongside the Chorlton Wombles, a voluntary community group, friends of Chorlton Park and volunteers from the restaurants in the area.

 

She added that the evidence submitted with the application and summarised in the report showed that the grant of permission would not impact on the amenity of local residents, and that the conditions would alleviate their concerns. 

 

The Committee asked if the car parking arrangements, which had been sold on to a 3rd party organisation, could be improved as the current parking officer is very difficult to deal with.  Officers advised the Committee that this issue was not a relevant concern with regard to the Planning application, but that officers would discuss this issue with McDonalds.

 

The Committee also asked for confirmation of the service hours, and officers advised that the standard condition was that servicing should not take place before 8am. 

 

The Committee also commented on the proximity of the restaurant to local schools, and the possibility of an increase in anti-social behaviour with extended hours.  Officers confirmed that they expected McDonalds to fully comply with the Noise Management Plan submitted as part of the application.  In addition, Greater Manchester Police had no objections to the application. It is not considered that the addition of two hours in the morning and half an hour in evening Sundays to Thursdays would increase the probability of anti-social behaviours occurring on site.

 

Decision

 

To approve the application subject to the conditions and reasons in the report and the late representation, and an additional condition restricting service hours to those approved in the original permission granted.

 

 

Supporting documents: