Join the RRRBA’s campaign to keep 508 Roman Road, formerly Randolfi’s sandwich shop, from being re-classed as A2 and let to another estate agent.
Fifteen estate agents?
Believe it or not, the Roman Road currently has 14 estate agents. Now, we have nothing against estate agents but as we’ve said before the Roman Road will only be successful if we have shops, and places for people to eat and drink too.
So we’re sad to see a planning application for a 15th estate agent, this time at 508 Roman Road – what used to be Randolfi’s cafe, on the corner of the Roman and St Stephen’s Road. It’s a great site and should be a cafe or restaurant again.
Help us object to ensure that the shops, cafes and restaurants we’d like to see on the Roman Road have a chance.
Please send email below to dr.developmentcontrol@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Thank you.
RRRBA
To Planning
Ref: Planning application PA/14/02069 – 508 Roman Road
I wish to OBJECT to the application for change of use from A3 Restaurants and Cafes to A2 Professional Services at 508 Roman Road.
The unit is one of three corner units sat on the junction of Roman Road and St Stephen’s Road, which together form an important focal point for the town centre. The other units are a café and a pub and together with the café in this unit previously created a natural gathering point in the centre of the Roman Road. The loss of one third of these units to an estate agent would damage the viability of the Roman Road.
The proposal would result in the addition of a 15th estate agent to the 14 that already operate in the Roman Road East District Town Centre, which together with other offices and financial service businesses now form 17% of all businesses in the District Centre. This further concentration of Professional Services businesses, to the exclusion of A1 and A3 use, would have an unacceptable detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of the designated Roman Road East District Town Centre and undermine the Council’s town centre hierarchy, contrary to the principles of the National Planning Policy Framework (2012), policy 2.15 of the London Plan (2011), policy SP01 of the Core Strategy (2010) and policy DM1 of the Managing Development Document (2013). These policies seek to safeguard and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres by protecting and promoting commercial uses, and place town centres at the heart of local communities.
In particular, Priority 3 of the Bow Vision in the Placemaking Annex to the Core Strategy prioritises supporting a mix of uses for shops, cafés and restaurants, whilst Principle 3 of the same documents identifies that Retail, small and medium enterprises, creative industries, leisure and civic uses should be focused in Roman Road East town centre. The loss of an A3 unit at a prominent and central point in the town centre would therefore be contrary to these aims.
For all of these reasons I OBJECT to this application and request that you REFUSE this application.
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