A gaming area and part of a pool hall above paint shop ‘Rustic Decor’, 3 Church Square, Rathfriland, is going to be turned into a restaurant.
The planning application, which was approved at last Wednesday’s (September 3) ABC Planning & Regulatory Services committee meeting, was lodged by Kevin J. McVitty MRICS, Holywood, on behalf of Rustic Decor Ltd, Cabragh Road, Mayobridge.
ABC Planning officers noted in their report: “At present there is a shop on the ground floor and a pool hall and gaming area on the upper floors.
“[The relevant policy] states that restaurants, cafés and fast-food outlets complement the primary shopping function of town centres by contributing to the range and choice of facilities available to residents and visitors, and they also support tourism.
“The principle of the development is therefore acceptable.
“The proposed use is likely to have less impact on residential amenity, due to the nature of the business where customers come to dine and will leave again once their meal has finished.
“The existing use which is currently operating is likely to have customers staying for longer periods of time, and potentially causing more of an impact on residential amenity.
“Also with the addition of appropriate conditions, including a restriction on opening hours and restriction on playing of live music, the proposed use would not result in an adverse impact on residential amenity.
“The proposal does not include any changes to the exterior of the building, and therefore officers are satisfied that the proposed development would maintain the overall character of the Area of Townscape Character (ATC), and would respect the built form of the area.”
Some conditions were attached to planning permission, including: operational opening hours are to be restricted to 5pm to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and 2pm to 10pm, Saturdays and Sundays; no live music or other amplified sound will be allowed within the premises; a three-stage ventilation system, to suppress and disperse odours created from cooking operations, will be required.
