'An asset to the village': Green light for new Domino's Pizza branch in South Staffordshire

A new Domino’s Pizza shop can open in a South Staffordshire village after a change of use request was given the thumbs up.

South Staffordshire District Council’s planning committee unanimously approved the change of use of a unit at Wombourne Enterprise Park at their meeting on Tuesday (October 20), welcoming the creation of new jobs for the area.

Permission was granted last year to sub-divide a retail unit at the Bridgnorth Road site into two separate units: one unit of 804sqm for bulky goods retail and a second unit of 148sqm for food and drink retail or a gym.

The latest application, seeking to change the use of the smaller unit to a hot food takeaway, came to the committee because South Staffordshire District Council was the applicant.

A report to the planning committee said: “The application site is located on the west side of Wombourne. The site comprises a supermarket (Lidl), retail units (currently unoccupied) and industrial/commercial units to the rear of the site.

“The planning agent has confirmed that the intended occupier is to be Domino’s Pizza. The proposed opening hours are 11am to 11pm, seven days a week.

“External alterations are also proposed to facilitate the development. These include the installation of new entrance doors on the front elevation, together with an air intake and extraction system, condenser units, and a fire exit door on the rear elevation.

“Wombourne Parish Council has considered this application and, whilst members acknowledge that it is positive to see one of the long-vacant units at Wombourne Enterprise Park potentially being brought back into active use, they do have a number of concerns that they would ask the local planning authority to consider carefully before determining the application.

“The parish council’s principal concerns relate to the operational impacts of the proposed hot food takeaway: namely whether the available parking provision will be sufficient to accommodate staff, customers and delivery drivers, the additional vehicle movements generated by the development and the potential impact on the nearby junction, the potential for increased litter and cooking odours associated with a hot food takeaway [and] the proposed opening hours and whether evening activity within the car park could result in increased noise and disturbance for nearby residential properties.”

Committee member Councillor Philip Davis said on Tuesday: “I’m in favour of it. For a business like this it seems like utopia where it’s situated – from the notes the nearest residents are situated 60 metres from the car park and the nearest house is 130 metres from the unit.

“The big one for me is environmental health have no objections to it. It’s going to create 10 full-time jobs and 15 part-time jobs, which is good for the village and good for local employment.”

Councillor Meg Barrow said: “I too am in favour of this. I know this area very well and it’s right next to the Lidl supermarket which is very busy and very well-used.

“It’s an asset to the village.”