Plans to knock down an abandoned restaurant and replace it with a Tesco have been given the green light. The new convenience store will be built on the site of the old Tulip Wok in Smallthorne.
The former Ford Green Road restaurant - which also once operated as The Bush pub - has been closed for more than five years. In that time it's been targeted by arsonists and during the coronavirus lockdown a total of 250 cannabis plants were discovered inside the building.
Back in October last year, retrospective plans for the vacant site to become a 'car sale/car wash and valeting facility' were rejected by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. But now a planning application submitted on behalf of Randhawa Property Group to create a retail unit occupied by the supermarket giant Tesco has been rubber-stamped.
A separate application submitted in order to formalise the use of land next to the building as a car park with seven anti-ram bollards and three cycle stands has also been approved. The parking area would not be tied to the new store and is therefore available to everyone.
In a report recommending approval for the retail unit plans, case officer Simon Rees said: "The proposed development would be located in a local centre area, which is appropriate for new retail uses. The design of the scheme enhances the surrounding built form and would not cause harm to the amenities of the surrounding residential properties.
"The proposal is acceptable on highway grounds and would not have an adverse impact upon ecology, flooding/drainage, air quality, contaminated land or the coal mining legacy of the site. The application has been assessed against relevant policies of the local plan and other material considerations including those raised by consultees and third parties. Given the above, the application is recommended for approval."
