New KFC and Costa to be approved in Rotherham despite resident’s objections

If approved, the front extension of the property, the former Edward Healy and Sons building on the corner of Bawtry Road and Fairways in Wickersley would be demolished, to make way for the new shop fronts.

A report by planning officers states that the ground floor is to be separated into two units, with the proposed change of use being one coffee shop and one takeaway.

The application was originally for three units,which has been reduced to two.

Applicants state that the proposal “re-uses one of the oldest buildings in the district centre in a way that would result in 20 jobs and increased footfall at this end of the centre.”

KFC will have public access from Bawtry Road, with the coffee shop being accessed from the Fairways frontage.

The proposal also includes a car parking area to the rear for three cars.

However, objections have been received from 11 different households, as well as two letters from Wickersley Parish Council and a petition containing comments from 26 residents of Companions Court.

One objector said: “I find that the building conversion at the end of our road is to be a cheap tacky American fast food outlet this is a step too far.”

Other residents objected to potential increases in litter and smells, parking issues, and the potential for “long hours” to cause “anti social behaviour” issues.

Wickersley Parish Council’s objection added that the shop front “completely out of keeping with the district centre, and has requested that the application be refused on the grounds of road safety.

The officer report adds: “The site is considered to be in an accessible location for walking, cycling and for public transport use, and is well located for residents/employees to travel by sustainable modes of transport.”

It adds that the applicant has already put mitigation measures in place to reduce the traffic impact on nearby streets.

These include bollards on Bawtry Road/Fairways, and cycle stands.

“These measures are now in place and should alleviate some of the problems in terms of indiscriminate parking on the Bawtry Road frontage,” adds the report.

“However, illegal parking in the highway and on pavements cannot be controlled by planning legislation and would be a matter for the Highways enforcement team or local police.”

The shop front design on the Fairways frontage has been amended slightly to take account of design guidelines, and the “elevation proposed is similar to the example of a modern shopfront shown in the Wickersley Design Guide.”

The proposed opening hours of 8am – 11pm are “acceptable”, due to the “commercial nature of the area” and the building not being “immediately adjacent to residential properties”.

“The planning system can only approve/refuse applications for a change of use based on the proposed use class not the end user, therefore the type of takeaway proposed and the type of food served cannot be controlled,” adds the report.

The application is recommended for approval.