Trendy Street food hub creating 80 jobs in Blackpool set for rejection over obesity fears

A recommendation to reject the Southbeach Street food plans on South Promenade has been put forward to Blackpool Council's Planning Committee.

Blackpool Council looks to be blocking the development of a fashionable food, transforming a parcel of empty land, amid fears the scheme could further fuel obesity.

Southbeach Streetfood has send an application to Town hall planners to redevelop Flagstaff Gardens, on South Promenade, but looks to be refused as it moves to the council's Planning Committee on Wednesday, April 26th, the investment, put forward by Businessmen Jamie Willacy, Nick Lowe and Andrew Bradshaw, all from South Shore, was looking to invest around £750,000 in the project, designed by the local architect Joseph Boniface.

The Plan would see the installation of 19 shipping containers, that would be painted to fit in the area, that would be used for catering to sit-in diners, the plan was set for vendors to sell fresh food from 'around the globe' that had been sourced from local suppliers, the scheme could create around 80 new jobs in the area.

The council-owned plot of land was advertised by the council looking for prospective operators, which was formally appropriated for development for leisure use earlier this year.

Planning officers however have said that the application is out of keeping with the surroundings, with buildings such as the Casino and Blackpool Pleasure Beach being near by, however, Danfo public toilers have been allowed on the land recently

A council report says: “The application proposes a hot food and drink development on safeguarded open space in an area where there is an identified shortfall of open space and no compensatory measures or mitigation is proposed.

“The proposal would exacerbate an existing over-concentration of hot food takeaway uses in an area with significant health inequalities with high levels of childhood obesity. The siting of stacked shipping containers on open space is poor quality design and inappropriate in such a prominent location on the Promenade.

“The scheme would have a detrimental impact on the character, setting and views of the Grade II listed Casino and White Tower.”