DoE guidance serves up fast food planning

The DoE has introduced new planning guidance for the expanding fast food outlet sector.

Senior Planning Officer, Hilary Heslip, said: “In recent years, the rapid increase in fast food catering has intensified the potential impact they have on surrounding areas and this has reinforced the need for up to date planning guidance.

“So, the Planning Service has published a new Advice Note to help people who are applying for planning permission for restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets.”

Superseding two previous Development Control Advice Notes (DCANs) released in 1983, the Notes give general guidance to intending developers, their professional advisors or agents, and to the general public regarding the planning criteria to be applied when an application for a particular form of development is being considered.

Ms Heslip added: “The purpose of DCAN 4 is to provide supplementary planning guidance in support of development plan policies on the location of restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets. Such guidance may be taken into account as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

“The advice clarifies when planning permission is required for the establishment of restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets, and sets out the planning criteria, which will be taken into account in coming to a decision on a planning application for such uses.”

A copy of the Advice Note can be obtained from Divisional Planning Offices or from Planning Service Headquarters, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast, BT2 8GB.

An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed for this DCAN and is available on the DOE Equality Impact Assessment website at www.nics.gov.uk/pubs/equalityimpact and a summary of the guidance has also been prepared in Chinese.

(SP)