The owner of a chip shop has thanked customers after plans were approved to demolish the building.
Blue Circle Fish Bar, at 141 Front Street, Arnold will close its doors for good after Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee approved the new plans.
The family-run chippy, alongside three other business units, will make way for nine one or two-bedroom apartments and ground-floor business space.
The applicant, Michael Zucker, told councillors two of the other units are vacant.
The fourth is the existing Front Street Cafe, which Mr Zucker says is to try and “sell on the lease or exit their tenancy early” amidst economic pressures.
But speaking after the plans were approved on Wednesday (November 30), the owner of the chippy expressed his sadness at the decision.
Bambos Charalambous, 50, whose family has run Blue Circle since 1990, said he will contact the council to see if the business can be relocated.
He said: “What’s done is done, it’s nothing we weren’t expecting.
“I’d just like to thank all the people in Arnold, the customers who have followed us and supported us.
“I’m going to get in touch with the council to see if they can relocate us and put us somewhere else.
“If they do, they do but if they don’t, I don’t know what we will do.
“Hopefully it goes that way but we will see.”
Applicant Mr Zucker spoke in the meeting and said parts of the site have been the target of fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
He described his plans as “modern” and “attractive”, urging councillors to grant planning permission.
He said: “Unfortunately, [the properties] are currently not fit for purpose. Two of the four units are empty and are unable to be let.
“The owner of the cafe has contacted us saying they cannot run their business under the current economic circumstances and are looking to try and sell on the lease or exit their tenancy early.
“This means that early next year, two or possibly three units will have to be boarded up for security purposes.
“Far better than the existing state of affairs would be to create modern commercial units that would be attractive to customers and tenants.
“If you approve these plans, the anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping which currently blights this site would be removed by the creation of high-quality commercial and residential units.”
Councillors gave the plans their approval, meaning the four units will be demolished to make way for the apartments and business space.
Councillor Paul Wilkinson (Lab), who represents Carlton, said in the meeting: “I have tremendous sympathy for the existing businesses in this location.
“I’ve been on a number of occasions to both the chip shop and the cafe, and I would be sorry to see both of those go.
“However, this site is in clear need of redevelopment and what’s being put in front of us looks like a very good scheme that will make a big difference to that end of Front Street.
“For that reason, I’m minded to support this application.”
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