Residents oppose Wigan restaurant plans

Residents' opinions are divided over a takeaway's plan to expand into a restaurant on a small residential street.
Standish resident Peter Sedgwick with the petition signed by many local residentsStandish resident Peter Sedgwick with the petition signed by many local residents
Standish resident Peter Sedgwick with the petition signed by many local residents

Around 160 people have signed a petition against the proposals to turn Siam House, a Thai takeaway in Church Street, into a 45-seat eatery.

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If approved, the venue would be created by knocking through into an empty residential property next door to the current premises.

Although the takeaway has been a hit with Standish residents since it opened last summer, some locals have disapproved of the planning application, citing fears of excessive noise pollution and car parking among many reasons for their discontent.

Peter Sedgwick, whose partner lives in the house which would share a wall with the restaurant, has been gathering the views of around 160 residents from surrounding streets including Heaton Street, which the restaurant would back onto.

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He claimed it would be “a travesty” if the building was turned into a restaurant.

He said: “If common sense prevails, I don’t think it will be approved, because it is such an absurd plan, and would cause so much disruption to people’s lives that it wouldn’t be feasible or practical.

“You can’t imagine the impact it would have on those living around that area.”

He added: “Unanimously, the people I have spoken to have rejected the idea that this could be in their street. These people have got genuine concerns. It’s an intrusion into their lives.

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“I don’t know anyone who would want to live on the opposite side of the wall to a restaurant. No amount of sound-proofing will stop the noise.”

He added: “There are plenty of empty units in Standish that could house a restaurant instead. This would be a travesty, if this building in a conservation area was turned into a restaurant.

“One of the main concerns is a lack of parking. There are already problems on Church Street. There are quite a few people who go to work and then someone else comes and parks in their spot.

“Other businesses like pubs are also wary of their car parks being hijacked but not getting the business from it.”

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Siam House owner Ed Jennings has previously insisted that the development would not cause any issues to those living in the surrounding areas, saying “the last thing I want to do is cause disruption.”