Pizza Hut puts Southwark ban on takeaways near schools to test
Plans for a new Pizza Hut on the walking route between Tate Modern and Southwark Station could fall foul of a council policy prohibiting new takeaways near schools.
Nine Food Group wants to turn the former Hobs Repro printing shop at the corner of Great Suffolk Street and Dolben Street into a Pizza Hut delivery and takeaway outlet.
Southwark Council planning policy says that new hot food takeaways will only be permitted if "the proposed location is further than 400 metres from any existing or proposed primary or secondary school's boundary".
Whilst the Southwark policy takes the school boundary as the measuring point, the Greater London Authority's London Plan instead sets a moratorium on new takeaways "within 400 metres walking distance from the entrances and exits" of a school.
The proposed Pizza Hut is within 400 metres of the nearest edge of the Haberdashers' Borough Academy secondary school site, but – Nine Food Group argues – is 493 metres away if the walking route from the nearest school exit is measured instead.
Parts of Friars Primary School in Webber Street are also within 400 metres of the proposed Pizza Hut location.
The Pizza Hut applicants cite two appeal decisions where planning inspectors ruled that distances between schools and takeaways should be calculated on walking distance, rather than as the crow flies.
Nine Food Group says that the proposed Pizza Hut will be open till midnight on Friday and Saturday and till 11pm the rest of the week, and would employ 8 full-time staff and 12 part-time staff.
• For more information see planning application 22/AP/2927
