Plans for new Chicken Cottage store rejected over smell complaints

A bid to convert a baby clothing shop in Partick into a Chicken Cottage, which sparked complaints over the potential smell, has been rejected.

Glasgow City Council planners have thrown out an application to change the use of the old Babitique store on Dumbarton Road.

Three neighbours objected to Akhtar Ali’s proposal, raising concerns over smells, increased noise and the possibility of the venue attracting drunk people late at night.

Planners decided the project would result in “increased noise, activity and cooking fumes to the detriment” of residents in the tenement above. They also ruled it would “erode the retail character” of the area.

The applicant wanted to convert the unit into a new branch of the Chicken Cottage franchise, which would have opened from 11.30am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday. The plan was to close at 9pm on Sundays.

But one neighbour said: “There is already a fast food takeaway place two doors down with an extractor fan in the same back court, which generates a lot of noise and smell from the food they are producing.

“To add another takeaway and flue to the same back court would add more noise disruption and smell.”

Another resident added that an extraction flue would be “directly below the windows at the back of my flat” and that they were “very concerned” about the smell and “potential obstruction” of their windows.

They also said there was a risk the takeaway would attract vermin and added: “I am very opposed to a restaurant/takeaway being opened directly below my residence due to the fact that there… a high potential that it will attract drunk people in the night.

“My bedroom is at the front of the building and as such, this would be an extreme disturbance for me.”

A council official said the proposal would result in the “loss of a retail unit to the detriment of the vitality and viability of the town centre”.

The shop is “not listed as a long-term vacant unit and no marketing information has been provided to demonstrate a long-term lack of retail interest in the unit”, they added.

Their report also said a “hot food takeaway could result in disruption to nearby residential amenity by the nature of the increased opening hours and the increased noise and activity”.

The council’s decision also said no information on the proposed maintenance scheduled for the ventilation system had been provided, and the plan did not include the required bike parking for staff.