Wetherspoons plans for shops rejected

WETHERSPOONS has been refused permission to transform a burnt out shopping centre into a pub in Shaw.

The national chain wanted to create a new pub on the site of the Four Lane End shopping centre in Milnrow Road — known as Greenway — which was destroyed by a blaze in December, 2009.

Flames ripped through Crazy Fast Foods Takeaway, Lewelle’s hairdresser, Lewisbet bookmakers, The Bubble Patch haberdashery and two empty shops in what is believed to have been an arson attack.

The premises have remained derelict ever since and Wetherspoons wanted to buy and transform them all.

Oldham Council’s planning committee said no to the ambitious plans, which included a smoking shelter and beer garden, after Shaw and Crompton Parish Council had earlier recommended refusal.

The chain usually creates 35-40 jobs when opening a new pub and is famed for low prices on food and drink, long opening hours and no music.

Councillors said Wetherspoons had failed to show due regard for planning policy and failed to consult with local councillors and residents.

Speaking after the committee, council leader and Shaw ward Councillor Howard Sykes said: “Nobody wants to lose potential investment and job creation but how realistic was this proposal in the first place?

“And it cannot be undertaken without regard to planning policies that are there to protect the retail core of district centres.

“Also what about those residents who live near by who would have been greatly effected by this proposal?

“It is always easy to criticise, in particular without the full facts, but on this occasion both Shaw and Crompton Parish Council and Oldham Council’s Planning Committee made the right decision to refuse — they had no other alternative.

“Along with other local councillors I would have been more than happy to see if we could try and get this to work but Wetherspoons were not willing to co-operate.

“We continue to do what we can to get the burn-out eyesore that was the Greensway Shopping Centre redeveloped and along with my colleagues we are always willing to talk to anybody who has some concrete proposals for this key site in Shaw.”

Jameson Bridgwater, the council’s head of development management, economic development and planning, said that Wetherspoons plans for a beer garden would have led to a “noise nuisance creating long-term operational difficulties for the pub and a detrimental impact on local residents.”

He also said that the chain, which has 793 pubs nationwide including two in Oldham town centre, had not discussed their application with planning officers and had not put enough thought into selecting the site.

He added: “It is clear that this was a speculative proposal with no guarantee that the scheme would have proceeded even if permission had been granted.”