Restaurant role for bookshop
BOOK retailer Waterstones is to close its Earl Street store andmake way for aWaga- mama restaurant. The book chain will instead be “consoli- dating” the operation from its other branch in Fremlin Walk. A planning application has been submitted to convert the store, which sits on the junction of Rose Yard, into a Wagamama restaurant, specialising in Japanese food. A supporting statement said the Earl
Street branch of Waterstones has “low to medium footfall”. It added: “A unit of this size in this location does not favour multi- nationals, and that has been borne out by Waterstones’ decision to consolidate trad- ing to their Fremlin’s Walk branch within the primary retail core. “The unit is too large for this sub-prime location, making it unsuitable for any ob- vious or known multinational or inde- pendent retailer who would more commonly favour a smaller unit. “It should also be noted that of the recent high-profile retail casualties, most operated
A PROPOSAL to bring back to life the Harrow Inn in Ulcombe has hit the rocks afterMaidstone Council threw a spanner in the works. The pub, the last one remain-
ing in the village centre, has been closed since December 2005. Last year, a planning applica-
tion to have it converted into a residential dwelling was turned
medium to large store formats such asWool- worths, Clintons, Blacks/Millets, La Senza, Peacocks and JJB Sports. This has created a surfeit of good-sized units generally within the established retail cores of centres; which again is to the detriment of more secondary locations such as 19 Earl Street.” Wagamama would create 32 full-time equivalent jobs, which “exceeds the cur- rent employment at Waterstones”, accord- ing to the statement. “Wagamama are highly selective in loca-
tions they choose to operate and therefore have a degree of exclusivity, which adds to their attraction. Their restaurants are des- tinations in their own right and therefore serve to attract people into the centre, which is to the benefit of other businesses and general vibrancy. “The proposed restaurant markets itself
at both day time diners (shoppers, workers and visitors) and evening customers. Trade is therefore continuous and footfall high, which sets the use apart from many other A3 [retail] uses and users.
down on appeal, so applicants Philippe and Karen Debax-La- tour proposed a new scheme to subdivide the grade II listed property to retain the pub and create a roof conversion and ex- tension to facilitate residential use.
But planning officers from Maidstone Council refused the application, saying a reduction
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“Assuming an average of 50% occupancy across the trading day, the footfall gener- ated by Wagamama would be 120 move- ments (arriving and departing) per hour. A footfall of this level is considered to sup- port retail vitality and viability and is far in excess of many A1 retail uses, including the existing bookshop use.” Should Maidstone Council grant plan-
ning permission, the restaurant would seat up to 90 diners and trade between 11.30am and 11pm Mondays to Saturdays and 11.30am to 10pm Sundays. Maidstone would become the fourth
town in Kent to have aWagamama, which has branches in Ashford, Canterbury and TunbridgeWells. The Wagamama application states that
the “Waterstones vacation of the unit is a binding commitment, which is not prompted by this planning application and will occur irrespective of its outcome”. A Waterstones spokesman refused to comment on the store closure or howmany jobs stood to be lost.
Latest plan to resurrect village pub rejected
in commercial floor space and the vertical division of the prem- ises into two separate units was likely to “have a detrimental im- pact upon the viability of the public house andwould thereby be harmful to the vitality of the rural village of Ulcombe”. The council’s decision notice
said the proposal might also have a detrimental impact on bats.
Cash machine plan PLANNING permission has been granted for a 24-hour cash dispenser at Iden Park Garage, Cranbrook Road, Staplehurst. Applicant Bank Machine says
the 24-hour cash dispenser wouldbeonthe frontelevation. A supporting statement said: “We propose to remove a glaz- ing panel and in the remaining void we will install a laminate panel with security backing.”
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