The application to open a Fish and Chip shop at the Brackendale Shopping Centre, Stroud Avenue, Willenhall is being withdrawn from Thursday’s Planning Committee agenda.  The news of the withdrawal came when Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Shires met with planning officers ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.

The application to convert a former Florist’s shop unit to a Fish and Chip shop was due to go to Walsall’s Planning Committee on Thursday. Planning Officers had recommended that the application should be granted.

There were a number of contentious issue still outstanding not the least of which was concern from residents in the area about late night noise and smell and associated anti social behaviour.  As a result officers were suggesting that the decision should be delegated by the committee of elected members to them something Liberal Democrats were against.

“It would have been seen as a smack in the face to residents if the committee allowed this to happen” said Short heath’s Liberal Democrat Cllr Doreen Shires ” and we were planning to argue the case against handing the decision to officers. The fact that the applicants have since withdrawn their application removes the need for this and residents can rest assured that their worst fears will not now materialise.” 

Dan Barker, a member of the Willenhall Lib Dem Focus Team had carried out a door to door survey in the area which showed a good majority of local people were opposed to the idea of a Fish and Chip shop on the precinct. “The feeling was that there are fast food takeaways a plenty in the area to satisfy demand” said Dan. “As well as concerns about anti social behaviour, smell and noise residents were worried that a chip shop would tempt pupils attending the four schools in the area to eat unhealthily and perhaps bunk off school on occasions.”

The application should act as a wake up call to the Council who, time and again have ignored the need for a policy to limit hot food takeaways a point made by Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Shires at a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board which brings together Public Health, Social Care, Children’s Services with the NHS Hospital Trust and GPs.

There are some 50,000 fast food outlets, delivery services and fish and chip shops in England and we spent £29.4 billion on takeaway food. Since 1990 the number of outlets has risen by 45%. The highest density of takeaways tends to be in less well off areas where 80% of people are more likely to be classed not just over weight but obese. “At a time when the pressure on the NHS is almost at breaking point we should be doing all we can to prevent the life threatening deceases associated with not having a healthy lifestyle” said Ian. “We need to be working with existing businesses to find ways of getting them to offer healthy alternatives at affordable prices and restrict the granting permission  for new outlets to those which comply to strict controls on where they can trade and the type of food on offer along with sensible hours of opening.”