Plan For Cafe/Restaurant In The Former Bread Shop Refused

Council said proposal would 'undermine the retail frontage' of the street

A plan to turn the former Bread Shop on Chiswick High Road into a restaurant/cafe has been refused by Hounslow Council.

FH Rowse Ltd had applied in October for a change of use from retail (A1) to open a restaurant/café (A3) at 296 Chiswick High Road.

A company with the name FH Rowse used to run a department store in Ealing. It describes itself now as an asset management firm and is registered at an address in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

The proposed hours of opening were Monday to Saturday 8:00 am to 10pm ; Sunday 9am to 10pm.

The Bread Shop closed in December 2018.

However Hounslow Council planning department said, "The proposal would undermine the retail function of the Primary Shopping Frontage and the Chiswick Town Centre, resulting in significant harm to the vitality, viability and sustainability of the Town Centre's retail provision and the attractiveness of Chiswick High Road as a key shopping area."

The ground floor of the premises was formerly used as a bakery with the upstairs floors being residential. The building has been vacant since last year.

There were five objections lodged against the proposal, on grounds of overcapacity of restaurants in the area, loss of retail, waste capacity and concerns over odours and air pollution, and loss of retail.

The planning department did not consider these to be grounds for refusal but said that retail provision in the centre of Chiswick was central to its long-term vitality and the loss of any units within the primary frontage would cause harm to the overall success of the high street.

The applicant had pointed out that the existing unit had been vacant for over a year, and pointed to a number of other vacancies elsewhere in the street, but Hounslow Council did not accept this was a basis for justifying the loss of the A1 retail unit at no. 296.

The Council said: "Given this, it is considered that the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the adequate provision of retail uses within this Primary Shopping Frontage and the wider Chiswick Town Centre, contrary to the intent of Local Plan policies TC2 (Ensuring the
Future Vitality of Town Centres) and TC4 (Managing Uses in Town Centres)."

The premises at 296 Chiswick High Road is predominantly surrounded by A1 uses including a tobacconist, jewellers and charity shop.

The applicant can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the decision.

We have attempted to contact FH Rowse for a comment on the decision.

December 4, 2019