High vacancy level requirements for hot food takeaways

In centres where vacancy levels are more than 10%, the council will wish to see evidence that attempts have been made to fill the unit with a district or local centre use (other than hot food takeaway) before a hot food takeaway will be considered. Applicants will have to demonstrate that a retail use is not viable in the premises, and this would require evidence that the unit has been actively marketed for a retail use for a minimum of 12 calendar months. Where there is evidence of no demand for a preferable use, hot food takeaways may be considered favourably even if this would increase the proportion of hot food takeaways to above 10% of ground floor frontages.