Residents outraged as they claim Pontefract takeaway 'breaches planning rules' and complaints are not being acted on

Big Bite’s Pizza, on Larks Hill, has been the subject of several complaints to Wakefield Council, with the earliest dating back to May 2016, relating to a chimney flue, noise and behaviour.

The complaints started when the takeaway was redeveloped and a retrospective planning request was made to add a motorised shutter to the shopfront, along with an LED sign - which drew several objections from residents.

Throughout 2017 and until June 2018 the takeaway was under a planning enforcement for “use of a ventilation that doesn’t have planning permission” but no legal action was ever taken.

A planning application for installation of an extraction flue was approved in 2019 but residents claim current work on the property is not what the application was for.

Concerned people in the area also have raised concerns with local councillors and the police about what they say is a rise in anti-social behaviour.

They say litter has been hurled into their gardens, there have been attempts to damage cars, noise has kept their young children awake at night and strong smells have forced them to keep their windows closed – even during the heatwaves that hit the country earlier in the year.

Ward councillor David Jones (Labour, Pontefract South) has raised residents’ concerns with Wakefield Council’s Environmental Health department.

He said: “It’s a long process and it needs to be kept an eye on."

"I have checked the flue myself and wanted to clarify if it is something that needed looking into, or if it is the flue agreed on in 2019, so I have raised this to planning enforcement.

"This has been an ongoing issue. That is due to ownership changes and delays from the takeaway themselves when there were issues, but we’re hoping this is going to be resolved in the best way possible for all parties.”

However, one resident who did not want to be named was sceptical of this, having raised issues over the premises for years and even taking the complaints to the Ombudsman.

The objector said there was evidence from the Ombudsman that Wakefield Council’s Planning Enforcement team repeatedly raised concerns that the takeaway were treating the complaints as “a game” and the Environmental Protection agency recommended the council should submit an injunction against the takeaway – however the council didn’t follow this advice and kept accepting planning applications from the takeaway.

When questioned about this, the council responded by saying they are working with the premises owner to “mitigate the issues raised by residents”.

Bronwen Knight, Wakefield Council’s Service Director for Planning, said: “We have received a noise complaint and a complaint about an unauthorised flue, and we are actively dealing with these.

"Our investigations will follow the necessary procedures. We’ll keep the complainant and Councillor Jones updated as this progresses.”

The council also added: “If a flue has been installed which does not benefit from planning permission, the owner will have the right to submit a retrospective application for planning permission for assessment.”

When approached for comment, Big Bites Pizza declined several times.