St Aubin restaurant told to 'take-away' plans until next year

Friday 09 December 2016

Plans to convert a former bank to an Indian restaurant in St Aubin stumbled at the final hurdle yesterday when it emerged the owners hope to have a takeaway and delivery service in addition to seated dining.

The proposal for the former NatWest building at Charing Cross to be converted to an Indian restaurant had been recommended for approval by the Planning officer.

Public objections to the plans included concerns over where rubbish bins would be stored and possible odours as well as traffic and parking in St Aubin's in general.

But 27 letters in support of the plans were also written to Planning with many welcoming the idea of a return to the village of the Miah family - who had run the former "Shapla" restaurant for 22 years - now owners of the new site.

Speaking for the proposal yesterday at a Planning Committee meeting, St Aubin resident Alan Breckin called the Miah family "a respected, hard-working family that are dedicated to hospitality".

He added: "They are part of this community and wish to serve this community and others."

St Brelade Deputy Montfort Tadier also spoke in support of the plans saying that if concerns about parking were to determine what eateries go ahead, there would be no restaurants at all in St Helier. "Most of the objections, if not all come from competitors," he said.

The Planning Committee also heard that changes to the plans had already been made to address some of the objections.

Plans has been altered to allow rubbish to be stored internally and then removed daily by a private contractor and the applicants purchased a state of the art fan system to minimise any potential odours.

But the committee members did not have those revised plans in their documents yesterday and had to be talked through them by the applicant.

While it seemed for a moment this might be enough to secure the committee's approval, when it became clear the applicant also hopes to offer a takeaway and delivery service, concerns about traffic resurfaced and it was determined best that the matter be deferred until January and brought to committee again.

Deputy Jeremy Macon said he believed that would be the most fair course of action to allow objectors to see the revised plans as well.