Vapiano on Southwark Street

Anyone appealing against this?

i can see the only objection being that a "pizza and pasta" restaurant is described as "german" !!! what the ...???

I've tried the one in Great Portland Street. Pretty good for a chain.

Not sure if anyone on the Peabody Estate will..
About time they started to fill the empty units. With so much growth in the area, with all the hotels they are building as well as Neo bankside...I think bankside is a wonderful place to live.

The application is for a change of use from retail (A1) to restaurant (A3).

For anyone short on time, and wanting to know the reason for the application, I recommend the [url=http://planningonline.southwarksites.com/planningonline2/DocsOnline/Documents/101165_1.pdf]Market Report [PDF][/url] which explains the steps they have taken to rent out the unit as a shop, so far, and why they feel this has been unsuccessful (and therefore why they are proposing a restaurant).

Personally I'd prefer to see a shop there, as there are already a good selection of food outlets in Bankside Mix, however an empty unit is even less preferable. It is a shame no planning mechanism exists to permit a temporary (for example 3-years) change of use after which the unti would revert to A1 use or another application would need to be made.

"Building 3 currently suffers from the fact that there is no lunchtime or evening restaurant trade and this has created an unbalanced footfall heavily weighted towards Buildings 1 and 2."

A walk of roughly 200 yards west kinda alleviates this 'suffering'.

Personally I think there are plenty of mediocre food outlets available in the area while there is a distinct lack of retail. Understandably, to a degree, everything is aimed at the new influx of workers to the area, but, and call me a dullard, I wouldn't mind a Boots, a Bank or even a Next or a Gap in the area.

I agree Edward.

Given the above market report comments re. the secondary nature of the location and lack of footfall, I don't see how the argument for a huge restaurant stacks up. The weariness of spirit which much afflict Building 3 inhabitants in the need to satiate their desire for a pizza.

The Vapiano planning application has been granted. Can't tell the status of the licensing application as Southwark's online register seems to be broken.

James Hatts wrote:

The Vapiano planning application has been granted. Can't tell the status of the licensing application as Southwark's online register seems to be broken.

Looks like that online register is still broken. Their Fitzrovia branch has a DJ and Dancing licence. I hope it won't be the same for the Bankside branch.