Anger over plans to turn Coventry butchers into takeaway

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Anger has erupted over plans to transform a Coventry butcher’s shop into a restaurant and takeaway.



Allesley Park residents are fighting a plan for a new hot food takeaway and restaurant in Winsford Avenue.

An application by applicant Ian Rothewell has been submitted to Coventry City Council asking for permission to convert number 39, currently Haigs butchers.

Mr Rothewell’s application states his intention to build a flat roofed side and rear extension and open the business from 9am until 11.30pm Monday to Friday, until 12am on Saturdays and 11pm on Sundays.

Residents have launched a petition opposing it on grounds of disruption, lack of parking and the number of takeaways already in the area.

David Fitzgerald and his family, including severely disabled daughter Helena, 16, live in the maisonette above the shop.

The 52-year-old fears the impact it would have on Helena’s quality of life.

He said: “You can hear everything that goes on in the shop and our disabled daughter wouldn’t be able to sleep.

“She doesn’t respond well to change at the best of times and we’re worried about access because there aren’t enough parking spaces as it is.

“What if we need to rush Helena to hospital and we’re blocked? Her quality of life would be nil.”

Lesley Deakin, petition organiser who lives opposite the premises, says everyone in the area is firmly against it.

She said: “It would cause more noise, more smells, more litter.

“Local businesses don’t like the idea either.

“We’ve too many takeaways around here as it is and there would be nowhere for anyone to park.

“The response to the petition so far has been amazing. We’ve collected 75 signatures in just one day.”

Eric Hall, aged 83, moved into Winsford Avenue when it was a new estate in the 1950s.

He said: “It was a quiet residential area then.

“A lot has changed since then and I know we must move with the times but we want it to stay a residential area. We don’t want it to become a business area.”

Neighbour Narinder Singh, a 44-year-old dad-of-three, added: “We’ve already got a Chinese and an Indian, how many do we need?”

Councillor Roger Bailey (Cons, Whoberley), who supports the petition, said: “This application is annoying but this is nothing against the butchers, we know people move on.”

Representations should be made to the council by Wednesday, January 12.

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A friend of mine visiting Coventry once asked me if anyone could cook in the city.

Probably not Flapdoodle, judging by the number of leaflets for takeaways that get posted through my door

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Angry residents have put pen to paper to vent their fury at plans to convert an Allesley Park butchers shop into a restaurant and late-night takeaway.



In just 10 days, nearly 800 signatures have been collected for a petition objecting to a plan to transform Haigs butchers in Allesley Park.

Some 778 objection signatures have been gathered in the fight against the proposal, to Coventry City Council by Ian Rothewell.

As part of the scheme, Mr Rothewell plans to build a flat roofed side and rear extension.

He also wants to open the business from 9am until 11.30pm Monday to Friday, until midnight on Saturday and 11pm on Sunday.

Residents are against it on grounds of increased traffic, pollution and litter.

They also complain there is not enough parking and say there are already too many takeaways in the area.

Lesley Deakin, petition organiser who lives opposite the site, hopes councillors take note of petition when they come to vote on the application.

She said: “Everyone is against it. The reaction was the same wherever I went – door to door or into the shops.

“I’m glad so many people signed the petition. I’m sure we could have got 2,000 but we only had 10 days.

“People are mainly worried about parking and the noise.”

Councillor Roger Bailey (Cons, Whoberley) who is supporting the residents, was amazed by the amount of opposition.

He said: “I was taken aback when I started counting the signatures. They come from the whole of the estate and Whoberley and Allesley.

“Shops were really supportive and took in copies of the petition for customers to sign.

“To get 800 signatures in just 10 days is an amazing achievement and it’s come as a complete shock to me.”

He added: “To get 100 signatures against a takeaway proposal is good but to get nearly 1,000 is astounding.

“It shows the strength of feeling against it in the area, not just for people who live in Allesley Park.

“The result is credit to the hard work of Lesley Deakin who organised the petition and walked house to house as well as shop to shop to collect signatures.”

The petition will be submitted to the council this week.

A second petition against the plan has recently been launched by Coun Bally Singh (Lab, Whoberley).

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Plans for a new Coventry restaurant and takeaway have been rejected after hundreds of objections from neighbours.

Two petitions against a proposal to transform a former butcher’s shop in Winsford Avenue, Allesley Park, into a hot food takeaway and restaurant attracted more than 1,000 signatures.

Residents were against it on grounds of its proximity to homes and schools and the potential for nuisance noise and litter.

Officers had recommended councillors approve the application, but the planning committee turned it down at their meeting on Thursday.

Coun Roger Bailey (Cons, Whoberley), who helped residents collect names for a petition bearing 1,174 signatures, spoke of his delight after the hearing.

He said: “It’s fantastic news – it shows the councillors had taken notice of the view of local residents and supported the community.

“I’m happy it wasn’t passed.”

During the meeting, Coun Bally Singh (Lab, Whoberley) – who circulated a separate petition signed by 145 residents – accused council planning officers of “making an ass out of common sense”.

He claimed officers only measured traffic flows in the evening without taking account of how busy the area gets in the day and failed to note the objections of West Midlands Police.

“You have done everything to try and make this application go through,” he said.

Planning committee chair, Coun Kevin Maton (Lab, Henley), reminded councillors that officers were bound by planning legislation.

Coun Bailey said: “I have lived on this estate and so have my mother and father and it’s a great estate.

“What we are talking about is a change of use. The butcher’s was open five days a week 9 until 5 and on Saturdays only until 2pm but the application is for a restaurant that would potentially be open from 9am until 11pm seven days a week.

“This is a massive change – this is the wrong development in the wrong place.

“I’m asking you to listen to the voice of the people.

“This petition has been signed by a lot of people.”

Resident David Semple argued there was no need for more hot food outlets in the area.

He said: “We’re already well covered 24 hours a day more or less.

“We’ve got cold and hot food and drinks. It’s all there.”

John Jowitt, speaking on behalf of applicant Ian Rothewell, urged councillors to heed the planning officers recommendation.

After the meeting, Mr Jowit said he will consult his client over whether to appeal the decision.

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Allesley Park takeaway plan rejected for a second time

PLANS for a takeaway on the site of a former butcher’s shop have been thrown out by Coventry city councillors for a second time.

A controversial scheme to transform the old Haigs Butchers site in Winsford Avenue, Allesley Park, into a restaurant and takeaway with a rear extension was rejected by city councillors at a planning meeting.

The plan was originally put forward by Ian Rothewell in January and was rejected at a planning hearing the following month after residents generated a petition bearing 1,174 signatures.

In April, Mr Rothewell submitted a fresh proposal for the hot food venue to open daily between 9am and 11pm with an additional explanation outlining how disturbance would be limited.

But it was met by a second petition signed by 670 residents in opposition to the scheme on grounds there are already too many hot food takeaways in the area and the impact of increased traffic, pollution and litter.

Councillor Bally Singh (Lab, Whoberley) who submitted the second petition, said: “Another takeaway in Allesley Park was clearly not wanted.

“Enough areas in Coventry are already blighted with fast food joints causing litter and other nuisance.”

He was also concerned planning officials had recommended councillors approve the application again.

“When the takeaway was rejected for the first time in February I believed that planning officials were making an ass out of common sense,” Coun Singh added.

“They still seemed obsessed with wanting this takeaway to go ahead.”

Fellow councillor and school governor at the nearby St Christopher Primary School, Coun Dan Howells (Lab,Whoberley) also objected to it due to concerns the takeaway would promote unhealthy eating habits among youngsters of nearby schools.

In a letter submitted to the planning department, Coun Howells said: “I am concerned about the effect on local residents across the road - the other takeaways are to the side of the row of shops- this is on the front of the row - thus subsequent noise and light will effect residents more than the others.

“It is in close proximity to the local school.

“I worry about local school children using the takeaway after school.”

Meanwhile, plans for Coventry’s first Kurdish community centre were given the green light by councillors.

The Islamic learning centre will take the place of a vacant two-storey office building in Stoney Stanton Road, educating up to 15 people a day.