Plans unveiled for HMO above betting shop and hot food takeaway in Kirkby

The HMO has been earmarked for the residential space above the William Hill betting shop at 29-31 Station Street, while the takeaway has been lined up for a rundown former shop within the town’s conservation area at 8 Church Street.

Details about the HMO are scant at present, although a Nottingham man is believed to be behind the scheme, for which architects Ellis Riley and Son, of Warsop, have been hired as agents.

Ashfield District Council planning documents say the application is for a lawful development certificate for the proposed HMO on the first floor of the building, which has been “historically used as a dwelling”. The development would consist of six en suite rooms, “not exceeding six occupants”.

More information is in the public domain about the hot food takeaway, which is proposed by Ibrahim Benzer, who bought the Church Street property last year.

It was formerly a convenience store, known as Wine Cellar, which sold a range of groceries and alcohol until closing about 30 years ago. Since then, the two-storey building, which also housed a flat upstairs, has been empty and has deteriorated into an eyesore.

Through his agents, planning consultants Marrons, of Leicester, Mr Benzer has told the council the takeaway would be “an exciting opportunity to bring a redundant commercial unit back into use”.

It would be open from 4 pm to 11 pm every day of the week, and he would employ five full-time employees – three kitchen staff and two delivery drivers. He would also utilise the online delivery services of Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat.

A similar planning application, submitted last year, was refused by the council on the grounds that it “would cause harm to the significance, character and appearance of the Kirkby Cross conservation area”.

The council said it “would have a detrimental impact on nearby residents due to the level of noise and general disturbance generated” and was also worried about a safe and suitable access.

However, Mr Benzer’s latest application is much more detailed and seeks to address the potential problems identified. He says it would “not cause any adverse impact to nearby homes”.

A planning statement, submitted by Marrons, reveals that Mr Benzer has already started to clear up the site and improve its appearance.

It says the takeaway would “offer significant benefits to the local economy” and claims there would be no issues with noise or highway safety.

The council’s planning officers are now considering both plans and hope to make decisions or recommendations by early October. Residents can post their comments on the planning section of the council’s website.

Meanwhile, a third area of Kirkby is the subject of another planning application, this time made by Ashfield Council itself.

It is to create two residential flats on the first floor of units one to three of the indoor Moor Market on Low Moor Road.

Until now, the ground-floor shops have used the upstairs spaces for storage. But now the aim is to convert the spaces into apartments above the shops.

A decision will be made by the middle of next month.