MP offers help in fight against west Cumbrian town’s fifteenth takeaway
Last updated 09:38, Saturday, 15 November 2008
Copeland MP Jamie Reed said he will support Cleator Moor residents if they want to take further action against plans for a 15th takeaway in the town being approved.
Councillors backed the plans this week to open another fast food outlet on High Street despite a 700-name signature, letters of objection and other takeaway owners saying a new outlet could force them to close.
Mr Reed said: “The people of Cleator Moor know better than anybody about what is best for Cleator Moor and I will support them in whatever action they want to take.
“Over recent months improvements have been made in the environment of Cleator Moor and there is a real civic pride there that should be encouraged and the best way to do that is to listen to the wishes of the people of the town.”
However, Mr Reed said that by law, Copeland Council was in a difficult position because there are no grounds to refuse another takeaway in the town.
Kathleen Weir, who lives six doors away from the planned restaurant, said residents feared it would encourage rats, rubbish, traffic and violence if it was built in the former Pat-a-Cake bakery. And other takeaway owners in the town said that there are already too many fast food outlets and another one would take trade away from them.
Most of the existing takeaways are located on the main road that runs through the town. Last month plans were approved by councillors for another takeaway on Leconfield Street.
Mr Reed said that people should get in touch with him if they wanted to take the matter further.
Something trading in the town is better than nothing I think
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I have read your letters in the Whitehaven News on Thursday 20th November.
I wish some of the letter writers had bothered to do some homework before writing their letters. They would know that most of the shops are owned by by someone who does not live in Cleator Moor or oven Cumbria. However, I would like to thank Nick Hazlewood for his letter.As for a functional business these shops are only just on the bread line, you can not have just one kind of outlet and expect the, all to survive. The people of Cleator Moor do not keep these shops open with trade, they cannot afford to. It is customers from other areas, not Cleator Moor, who provide most of the custom to these shops.Please take some of the Take Aways to where you live, then you can cleanup after them, have the rat infestation and vadalism.Please do something about it Cumbria County Council.Posted by Kath Weir on 20 November 2008 kl. 21:54