Setback in bid to transform former Waterlooville Natwest into a new restaurant and flats

A planning application was submitted seeking permission to transform the site into a new restaurant and five flats but has now been withdrawn after the concerns were raised.

It comes after the environmental health team recommended its refusal because no assessment has been submitted by the applicant about how it would control noise and odour caused by the eatery. This will delay any plans to create the flats, however no ‘change of use’ application is needed for a restaurant is needed as this is already permitted under the same category which permitted the bank.

As previously reported by The News, plans have been unveiled to transform the prime site off St George’s Walk into a ‘family-friendly’ restaurant called The Exchange. The venue is one of eight businesses which won grants from the Havant Borough Council £140,000 regeneration scheme.

It submitted a planning application to seek formal permission for its plans, with support given for the economic benefit it would bring to the town and licencing permission has been given. However it will now need to provide more information in relation to the planning application.

Responding to the application, the council’s environmental team said: “Our primarily concern is that the proposed restaurant will be promoted as more of an entertainment venue then purely as a restaurant. We note the mention of alcoholic beverages being provided outside the premises, but we do not see such an area on the submitted plans.

“There is no information provided about the proposed odour control, and how this would be controlled in respect of minimising the impact of odour at the proposed flats and any other nearby residential properties.

“We would expect further information about the “outside” area proposed in the licensing application and information about how noise from internal music and patron noise would be controlled. We also have concerns about music noise and patron noise affecting nearby residential receptors.

“We have concerns that the restaurant will be marketed as an entertainment facility that could encourage drinking and in turn give rise to rowdy behaviour which may spread outside on to the high street and within the vicinity when patrons exit for the evening/night.”

Now that the application has been withdrawn a fresh planning application will need to be submitted to Havant Borough Council for approval.

To view the previous plans visit the council’s planning portal and search for application APP/24/00727.