REVEALED: Coventry councillor’s eateries breaching planning rules

[dutchman]

A Coventry councillor and businessman owns eateries in the city operating without planning permission, we can exclusively reveal.



At least one resident has raised concerns the council is giving ‘special treatment’ to Rois Ali – a high-ranking councillor as deputy cabinet member for public health and sport.

The Coventry Observer has learned councillors on its planning committee privately last week finally decided to take enforcement action against businesses at two of his premises – the Ginger Orange Indian restaurant, Kenpas Highway, Styvechale, and The Village Cafe, Station Avenue, Tile Hill.

The Village Cafe has been open more than a year despite being refused planning permission twice by councillors on planning committee – in 2013 and last year – and losing two appeals to independent inspectors, the latest being in March.

Council planning officers had recommended councillors last week finally granted planning permission, with conditions restricting it to day-time use (7.30am to 6pm) and the entrance being relocated to minimise disturbance to neighbours – but the cafe withdrew its application at the last minute.

Public objections included one complaint that there was a “risk that this application will raise aspersions of special treatment or influence as the owner is a Coventry Councillor.”

The council’s Register of Members’ Interests for Coun Ali includes the Ginger Orange and Village Cafe premises among 18 sites for which he declared a ‘beneficial interest’. They include others restaurant and takeaway premises around the city.

Councillors privately decided last Thursday (August 4) to serve an enforcement notice on Village Cafe to stop trading within two months, and remove all goods and equipment, due to the planning breaches.

Ginger Orange has been given one month to stop hot food takeaways and deliveries for planning breaches on highway safety grounds and disturbance to residents.

Failure to comply with an enforcement notice is illegal. Further applications and appeals could follow.

Coun Ali, an award-winning restaurateur, was elected as Labour councillor for Cheylesmore in May and has long been involved with Coventry Labour Party.

He owned the Rupali Indian restaurant in Tile Hill in the 1990s before opening the MYO restaurant upstairs at the high-profile grade 11-listed old fire station building in Millennium Place, city centre, before its closure in 2010.

The Village Cafe’s previous planning applications were refused because of council planners’ concerns about changing the use of the former butcher’s shop to ‘mixed use’ (cafe and hot food takeaway)’.

Council planners had refused on road safety concerns over the nearby Tanners Lane/Banners Lane/Tile Hill Lane junction not later shared by appeal inspectors; and concerns about disturbance to residents from early morning use and night-time takeaway use later upheld by the inspectors.

The latest application for which council planning officers were recommending approval last week sought permission for takeaway use, and a cafe between 7.30am and 6pm, with shorter weekend opening.

Yet the cafe’s Facebook site this week advertised opening hours from 6am for ‘full English breakfast served all day seven days a week’.

The application was withdrawn after officers sought more conditions and advised councillors the cafe had said it would only move the entrance if it got late night opening – despite appeal inspectors’ ruling.

Another party was refused planning permission for an Italian restaurant at 50 Kenpas Highway in 2009 before Ginger Orange opened about a year ago. Land Registry documents show Coun Ali has owned the site since 2007.

Coun Ali said that, as ‘landlord’, he was “working with the tenants and council officers to try and resolve the issues.”

[dutchman]

Councillor whose eateries breach planning rules faces calls to resign

A COVENTRY councillor and businessman who owns eateries in the city operating without planning permission is facing questions in the council chamber and resignation calls.

It follows the Coventry Observer exclusively revealing the story about property owner and restaurateur Rois Ali – who became a high-ranking Labour councillor as deputy cabinet member for public health and sport immediately after his election as councillor for Cheylesmore in May, after his long association with Coventry Labour party.

Opposition councillors are now planning to raise detailed questions concerning Coun Ali’s planning and business matters at the next full meeting of the council on September 6. One is already calling for his resignation and demanding he apologises to residents.

Conservative councillor Tim Mayer is seeking to raise a series of questions at next month’s council meeting.

He told the Observer: “This councillor is not only deputy cabinet member for public health, but sits on the business, economy and enterprise scrutiny board. How can he continue given he has ignored the licensing rules he is supposed to help protect?

“I think the Labour leadership needs to look at Coun Ali’s complete disregard for the rules he is supposed to help govern and explain given his history and past issues how he managed to get through the candidate selection process in the first place.

“I also think Coun Ali needs to apologise for the harm and upset he has caused Coventry residents by allowing his businesses and tenants to operate outside of the licensing rules, causing much distress to local Coventry people.

“I hope he does the right thing and concludes he isn’t fit to continue as the bridge between the community he serves and the council.”

Coun Ali owned the Rupali Indian restaurant in Tile Hill in the 1990s before opening the MYO restaurant upstairs at the high-profile grade 11-listed old fire station building in Millennium Place, city centre, before its closure in 2010.

[dutchman]

Councillor landlord distances himself from eateries planning row



A Labour councillor has distanced himself from a planning row which has broken out over buildings he rents to two eateries.

Coun Ali told the Telegraph he owns the premises where the two companies operate but that he is not involved in running the businesses that trade there. But he said he had worked with the two firms to help them resolve their planing issues.

Coun Ali said: “I am not involved with the businesses, I am just the landlord.

“I have nothing to do with them and they are not operated by family members.

“The issue with Ginger Orange was a breach of conditions related to a chimney flue. Everything that needed to be installed had been installed, but the owners hadn’t sent the relevant paperwork to the council. It has now been dealt with.”

Coun Ali said: “A new application has gone in for Station Avenue. The previous application was withdrawn because the door was on the wrong side in the technical drawings. That’s been corrected and a new application has now gone in.”

He added: “These planning issues are up to the tenants, the business owners come from different towns, I’m nothing to do with it.

“The whole thing annoys me. I would not intentionally allow them to break any planning laws or make any other breaches.

“I wasn’t aware of the issues (at the Village Cafe). They said they were going to put in an application for change of use when they first moved in.”

Coventry Council has confirmed that a new planning application has been submitted for the Village Cafe and that the issues at Ginger Orange have been fully resolved.

A spokesman said: “The planning condition for Ginger Orange concerning a scheme for odour control and fume extraction has now been met and the premises are free to start trading as long as it is compliance with the permitted hours.

“A planning application has been submitted for the premises in Station Avenue. This was received on August 17 and is currently at the very early stages of the planning process.”

The Telegraph understands the Labour leadership at Coventry City Council fully supports Coun Ali and does not believe he has breached the council’s code of conduct.

It is also understood the Conservative opposition is reconsidering whether to call for Coun Ali’s resignation after it was clarified he doesn’t own the businesses in breach of the council’s planning regulations.

[rebbonk]

Interestingly, Ali has two different dates of birth on the company record site I use.

[dutchman]

Interestingly, Ali has two different dates of birth on the company record site I use.

I wouldn't read too much into that Rebbonk, my dad does too!

[rebbonk]

Fair enough.

[dutchman]

Planning rules breached at SEVEN firms connected with councillor Rois Ali

AT least SEVEN businesses connected with high-ranking councillor Rois Ali have been served with enforcement action for operating without planning permission and breaching rules, we can reveal.

We revealed last month Coventry City Council’s planning committee privately served enforcement notices to stop or restrict trading at Ginger Orange Indian restaurant, Styvechale and The Village Cafe, Tile Hill – amid public accusations of special treatment.

But both are now finally set to receive retrospective planning permission tomorrow (Thursday, September 29), when council officers will recommend councillors give the go-ahead.

Coun Ali told us last month he was just the “landlord” for both and would be “working with the tenants and council officers to try and resolve the issues.”

But the Coventry Observer has now obtained evidence that the council had previously served enforcement action notices against Coun Ali (as a named party) at five other premises for ‘planning breaches’ and operating without planning permission.

The most recent was in November 2014 at Chicken Express hot food takeaway at 39, Winsford Avenue, Allesley Park, where a rear extension considered an eyesore was built without permission.

The others were at 190 Clay Lane (Clay Oven takeaway), 487 Beake Avenue, 1081 Foleshill Road, and land adjacent to 267 Broad Street, before measures were taken to comply with the notices.

Coun Ali declared he had a “beneficial interest” in all seven premises on the council’s Register of Members’ Interests, and in 11 more land sites.

This year, he became Labour councillor for Cheylesmore and deputy cabinet member for public health and sport.

He has been a friend of Coventry Labour MPs and councillors since the 1990s when he owned the Rupali restaurant, Tile Hill. He also operated the now closed MYO restaurant at the old fire station building in Millennium Place.

The Village Cafe has operated despite being refused planning permission twice on grounds of road safety, noise and smells – in 2013 and last year – and losing two appeals to independent inspectors, the latest in March.

Concerns about disturbance to neighbours from early morning use, and night-time takeaway use, were upheld by inspectors.

Last month’s enforcement notice ordered it to stop trading completely within two months.

But planning officers are now recommending councillors approve a retrospective planning application for a cafe/takeaway from 7.30am to 6pm, after the front door was moved to minimise disturbance to neighbours, and they now rule out highways concerns.

Conservative Westwood ward councillor Tim Mayer and some neighbours are formally objecting over traffic, parking and disturbance from noise and fumes.

Ginger Orange was last month given one month to stop hot food takeaways and deliveries for planning breaches regarding early evening restaurant opening hours, parking and fume extraction.

Now the planning committee is recommended to grant earlier restaurant opening hours from 5pm (currently 7.30pm). Planning officers now claim there are no parking issues after the restaurant conducted its own ‘survey’.

Coun Ali told us: “The council and my tenants have been working really well and have come to an agreement. That’s why the officers are recommending approval and I hope the planning committee approves.

“I am a landlord and tenants have sometimes slipped on meeting conditions of planning consent. When enforcement notices have been received in each case the issues have been resolved.”

He denied there was any intention of personal gain from a pattern of the businesses exploiting planning loopholes.

[rebbonk]

One must question if this man is really fit to be a councillor. But as he's Labour backed, I won't expect any investigation into his behaviour from CCC.

[dutchman]

Probe finds Coventry councillor Rois Ali breached code of conduct



COUNCILLOR Rois Ali breached Coventry City Council’s code of conduct by failing to declare some of his business interests in matters referred to the police, an independent investigation has found.

The Labour councillor will now go before fellow councillors on the local authority’s ethics committee, which will decide if he is to be punished.

The wealthy businessman and property owner could face anything from a censure – a formal ticking off – to removal from certain duties.

Police were brought in, but decided not to prosecute.

In a damning ruling, he is also accused of breaching the code of conduct by making indirect threats concerning his political opponent, Conservative councillor Tim Mayer, including that he would “stamp on him”.

An agenda item to go before the ethics committee next Tuesday (November 6) sets out details of the investigation into a complaint made that Coun Ali has breached the Code of Conduct for Elected Members.

A formal complaint was made in January by Coun Mayer that Coun Ali had failed to enter on his register of interests certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests that he held.

Following consideration of the complaint by the monitoring officer Julie Newman, this matter was referred for a ‘Stage 2 investigation’ to an independent investigator Matt Lewin.

Tuesday’s agenda reads: “Following his investigation Mr Lewin found that Councillor Ali had breached four paragraphs of the Code.

“Councillor Ali accepts that he is in breach of two of these paragraphs but denies a breach of the other two.

“The matter is now to be presented to the Ethics Committee to consider whether or not Councillor Ali has breached the Code of Conduct for Elected and Co-opted

Members; and if so, should any sanctions be applied.”

[rebbonk]

There really is a nasty whiff around this, but I'll wager nothing will happen.