City planners have approved a planning application which will see the old HSBC building in Plympton Ridgeway become home to two new businesses – despite a number of objections to the proposals.
Ibrahim Piek lodged a planning application to subdivide the existing building to be used as a restaurant and barbers shop.
The matter came before Plymouth City Council’s planning committee in July in a meeting which was held online rather than in the council house due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plympton Erle Councillor Terri Beer told the committee that while local residents welcomed the building being brought back into use there were concerns about the impact of having yet another hairdressing business in Ridgeway.
“Currently there are 14 hairdressers and barbershops in Ridgeway,” Cllr Beer told the committee, adding: “Is it really essential to have yet another hairdressers on the Ridgeway which will saturate the shopping centre and affect businesses already well established. What Ridgeway really needs more than anything is a diverse shopping offer not the same old same old.”
Cllr Beer also pointed out there were already ten eateries on Ridgeway, five of which open in the evening.“One more again would cause saturation” she said.
Cllr Beer’s sentiments were shared by Plym Chamber of Commerce President Andrew Briggs who also addressed planners with his concerns. “I am very concerned the proposal will have a negative impact on Ridgeway. Too many of anything is a bad thing,” Mr Briggs told the committee citing the previous overpopulation of fruit and veg shops in Stoke Village which ultimately proved unsustainable.
Mr Briggs also pointed out that the most recent food shop to open up on Ridgeway closed within a few months and has not reopened since.
He added: “I think planning has a responsibility to create a positive shopping experience and I think if we have a look at somewhere like Totnes as being a small town with lots of individual little shops people flood to Totnes to do shopping. Ridgeway needs to have a balance of retail outlets. I think at the moment we need diversity and harmony and I think oversaturation of any one business is a bad thing.”
Plympton St Mary ward councillor Patrick Nicholson unsuccessfully moved to have the application deferred to allow for further discussion with the applicant over the commercial viability of the proposed application.
Some other members of the committee did not feel it was the role of a planning committee to consider the commercial viability of an application, only whether it complied with planning laws and policies.
Cllr Sarah Allen also felt it was important to bring disused buildings back into use.
After lengthy deliberations the application was put to the vote and approved by 9 votes to 4.
(story courtesy of www.plymptonpodcast.org.uk)
