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| Campaigning outside Montparnasse |
However, chatting to the owner it was clear that all was not well. After customers had said they would welcome the cafe's development into a fully fledged French Restaurant the owner applied for planning permission. This would involve change of use from Class A1 premises to Class A3 enabling cooking to take place on the premises.
Despite the fact that such a restaurant would enhance the quality of the offer in this area, amongst the betting shops and fried chicken shops, the Planning Committee turned down the application. This was done on the grounds that it would increase the proportion of non-retail premises on the parade and increase the number of 'dead frontages': 'Overall. it is considered that the proposal will further impact on this vitality and viability of this primary shopping parade and is considered unacceptable'.
There are no other restaurants (apart from a chicken shop with a couple of tables) on that parade except the Torch and Crock of Gold pubs. A French Restaurant would be distinctive and the only one for miles.
In pursuit of this 'vitality and viability' Brent Council recently approved the replacement of a bar/restaurant on the corner of Bridge Road and Chalkhill Road by an enormous Paddy Power betting shop, the third betting shop in the immediate area. This double frontage shop has a blank frontage.
Montparnasse has organised a petition in support of its application which can be signed at the counter. I urge you to pop in and sign it and sample the coffee and cakes at the same time.
6 comments:
The Planning Committee is made up of Brent employees (town planners and Local Councillors)
Local councillors aren't qualified to make a decision, which is why they get steered into a decision by those who are qualified (Brent Planners)
It's far from "independent" as they suggest.
The Local Don.
but brent council permits the paying of council tax for street drain cleaning that isn't actually done?
to my mind that is what should be disallowed...afterall why should we have to pay for work that isn't being done?
according to the two drain clearers I spoke to a few months ago, it is impossible for them to clear every drain in brent...In my mind opinion it shouldn't be but I can nevertheless understand...however if only half the street cleaning is being done, then surely that should mean there should be a reduction in how much council tax we pay?
as for brent council permitting the opening of a betting shop on the corner of chalkhill road, that doesn't surprise me one bit...they obviously want residents to be enticed to gamble rather than have somewhere to sit down and buy a nice cup of coffee and a cake...
It seems entirely reasonable that a cafe is retained, rather than converting into e restaurant.
A cafe/restaurant would be of benefit to residents surely and offer a cuisine not available elsewhere in the vicinity. Also 'entirely reasonable'.
I went to a planning meeting recently at the Town Hall - despite the fact that it was an important scheduled meeting there was an 'awards ceremony' going on in the main council chamber which meant that everyone had to squash into the smaller room, people were hanging about in corridors with no seating for hours.
The meeting was supposed to start at 7pm but started late, the planning application I went to see discussed was not discussed until well after 10pm when most of the people who had also gone to see it discussed had gone home.
There was no proper schedule of what was being discussed when, some people could have come along later had there been a proper schedule.
The planning committee appeared to have made up their minds before the meeting re the application we were interested in and barely took interest in what residents had to say and passed the planning application.
I then had to leave the Town Hall and get a bus back home - I got home at 11pm and vowed that I'd never waste my time like that again and no doubt several other people felt the same.
Perhaps they do this so that people have the same experience and never bother to object in future?
Rather than debate the decision, debate who made the decision.
The Planning Committee is made up of Brent employees (town planners and Local Councillors)
Local councillors aren't qualified to make a decision, which is why they get steered into a decision by those who are qualified (Brent Planners)
It's far from "independent" as they suggest.
The Local Don.
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