'Half-baked’ plans for dressmakers shop on Peterborough street rejected

A “half-baked” application to open a new dressmakers’ shop in Eastfield has been rejected by Peterborough City Council’s planning committee.

Councillors said plans to build a new retail unit on Padholme Road may be possible in future if current designs are amended and parking provision provided.

But at present the plans, which consist of the new unit as well as a two-bedroom apartment directly above it, would cause too many problems for others living on the residential street.

The applicant told councillors that his plans would help provide affordable housing to students or others who need it as the apartment's rent could be subsidised by around 20 to 25 per cent by the shop.

He also said that he has a dressmaker interested in using the premises, which has been used for a very similar purpose before.

But council officers said that extending the building, as the applicant proposes to do, would block surrounding houses’ windows and that it would effectively be “cramming too much into one space”.

They also raised the issue that there are double yellow lines on the road, which would make it difficult for any future customers to park.

Cllr Mohammed Jamil (Labour, Central) said he was “disappointed” to see the application come through while it’s “half-baked and incomplete” but that it has the “potential to be something good” in future.

Cllr Jackie Allen (Conservatives, East) similarly said that she hopes the application "comes back with a bit more sympathy”.

The committee turned it down with eight votes against and three abstentions.