Take-away trouble!
A local councillor is looking into starting a new initiative to tackle rowdy behaviour outside takeaways.
Councillor Ian Tait considers it to be a new and worthwhile approach in reducing trouble arising near takeaways in the early hour.
Cllr Tait said: “Residents living beside these takeaways have to put up with a lot of disturbance and this can be worst when residents most need their rest and sleep - in other words in the early hours of the morning.
“Whenever a planning application comes in for a new take-away, I believe there can be the potential for social disorder in their vicinity.
“The Police cannot be everywhere at one time and we should be trying to help them whenever possible to keep law and order.
“My approach will be to propose that a planning condition is imposed compelling the takeaway owner to erect external CCTV cameras to cover the area immediately outside the premises. These new cameras to do this sort of thing are very cheap to purchase nowadays. If rowdy clients know they are being caught on camera they may have second thoughts and if fights break out then it would be recorded.
“I believe responsible takeaway operators will welcome this because they will be able to cite the installation of cameras when they apply to the various licensing authorities for grant or renewal of permission to operate. I imagine the Police will wish to support this too.
“This initiative will not require a new planning policy. The planning condition can be imposed to avoid a loss of amenity which is a valid reason for imposing a planning condition. The condition would only need to be imposed when there is a real risk of trouble. In terms of existing takeaways I have asked council officers to look and see if there is any way they can be helped to install the equipment but there would be no change in their existing planning consents.”
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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