Residents and councillors oppose local father’s planning application for new business
A Caerau man’s plan to convert his family home into a pizza takeaway is being contested by neighbours.
Arman Miah, 43, applied for permission to use his house on Cowbridge Road for business purposes earlier this month.
The change of use application involves the removal of existing bay windows and the installation of shopfront glazing and shutters on the property. The ground floor would be converted into an ordering area and industrial kitchen with Mr Miah and his family living upstairs.
Mr Miah said: “Takeaways are one of the only businesses that are doing well at the moment. Having a pizza shop will help create jobs for locals in what is a difficult time.”
Mr Miah plans to employ four full-time staff at his business which would only operate a takeaway and delivery service. He had originally planned to open a coffee shop but realised he did not have enough space to ensure social distancing.
Several residents have objected to the plans, including Peter and Jacqueline Snook, aged 83 and 79 respectively, who have lived next-door for 56 years.
They said: “These Victorian houses have character and consistency in design. Changing one into a business premises would break this up. There are already three takeaways in this small area.”
Mr Miah says that the existence of other takeaways and shops on Cowbridge Road means his plans would not change the character of the area.
He added: “Mr Snook had agreed to me having a coffee shop. He does not want a takeaway because he does not want the bay window removed, but there are other properties on this road that do not have bay windows.”
Mr and Mrs Snook also expressed concern that Mr Miah’s plans to store rubbish from the takeaway behind his property would impact on their garden use.
They said: “We sit out there in the summer and have barbeques – can you imagine the smell? Out the back, there is a three-meter wide gated lane that council refuse lorries do not come down. What damage might a private contractor do coming down the lane?”
In response, Mr Miah said: “The rubbish would be collected every week and it can be moved to the end of Colin Way for collection if necessary. I am willing to be flexible.”
Caerau Councillors Peter Bradbury and Elaine Simmons have also added their objections to the application. “This will add traffic to an already hugely congested area. There would be no place to park for customers or delivery drivers,” they said.
Mr Miah disagreed, stating: “Customers can park on either side of the road. None of the other takeaways cause any traffic issues and I expect 70-80% of my trade to be home delivery anyway.”
As well as drivers, Mr and Mrs Snook expressed concern about disruption caused by walk-in customers: “Some pedestrians would congregate outside, spilling over and leaning on our property, throwing their rubbish on the floor,” they said.
Councillors Bradbury and Simmons supported the couple’s argument about rubbish and claimed that other takeaways cause excess litter and “environmental issues”.
Mr Miah said: “The other takeaways cause minimal littering issues that we would work hard to prevent. I have lived here for quite a few years and this is a very busy and noisy road.
“I often smell Indian and Chinese food from the other takeaways but have chosen to live here knowing all of this.”
Though Mr Miah’s planning application remains hotly contested, the opposing parties bare no ill will to each other.
“He is a good neighbour,” Mrs Snook said, while Mr Miah expressed his desire to do what is best for his family.
“All I ask is that the planning department looks into this matter fairly and justly,” he concluded.
A response to the planning application is expected before January 1st, 2021. The application can be found here.
