Plan to open new restaurant in Glasgow deemed 'low quality'

by XPRESS, 16 May 2024

Glasgow city councillors have upheld a decision to refuse planning permission for converting a former West End delicatessen into a restaurant. The premises, situated at 126 Byres Road, previously housed a Peckham’s, a chain of delicatessens and cafes in Scotland, from 1990 until 2017.

Following its closure in 2017, the unit was intended to continue operating as a delicatessen, but this plan fell through. Subsequently, it became a Chinese supermarket in 2019 and was rebranded as Casey’s convenience store in 2022. Despite being on the market for retail use, there has been no interest or offers of rent.

Proposals to transform the Byres Road site into a restaurant were presented to members of the planning local review committee.

The application was submitted by DRG hospitality firm, known for operating establishments such as Di Maggios, Cafe Andaluz, Anchor Line, The Citizen, and Barolo in the city. However, concerns were raised during the meeting by councillors about the increasing number of bars, cafes, and eateries compared to shops.

Councillor Saqib Ahmed remarked, "Byres Road is becoming a more commercial and tourist area. How many hot food establishments are there in the area?"

A council officer stated that although an exact number wasn't available, the application would result in there being at least 40% restaurant-type premises, exceeding the recommended limit of 30%. This led to discussions about the inadequacy of the proposal, with councillors feeling it lacked sufficient information for approval.

Councillor Declan Blench commented, "This application appears to be of low quality and incomplete. I'm not comfortable granting it."

Councillor Imran Alam added, "We don't have much information to go on. If it had been a proper application, we would probably have had a better understanding of what the plans are."

Bailie Thomas Kerr agreed that the applicant could have provided more information, acknowledging that a proposal like this one could have been beneficial for the area. However, he ultimately supported refusing the application.

Following a vote, the majority of councillors agreed to refuse the application, suggesting that the planning department should request more information from the applicant for further consideration.