Papa John's could open branch in Stowmarket town centre
It would take the site of a former Poundland off Gipping Way, under new plans
Last updated 25th Oct 2022
A Papa John’s is likely to take the site of a former Poundland in Stowmarket.
A planning application for a Papa John’s restaurant at the site of a former Poundland in Stowmarket’s town centre has been recommended for approval.
The recommendation by Mid Suffolk council officers means councillors meeting on Wednesday are likely to push the plans through.
The proposed unit on Gipping Way was used by Aldi before it became a Poundland store.
Half the original site was converted into a PureGym in 2020; the other half is the application area for Papa John’s.
The vacant unit is owned by the council but Papa John’s made the application.
The proposed hours of operation are 11am until midnight, Mondays to Wednesdays, and 11am until 2am on Thursdays to Saturdays.
Stowmarket Town Council does not object but the officers’ report states at least six objections have been made by members of the public through letters, emails or online comments.
The three public comments on the council’s planning application site are objections, mainly on the basis of late opening times and resulting noise.
Fears around obesity, litter and additional traffic due to pizza delivery drivers are also mentioned by one objector.
The site is within Stowmarket’s conservation area, meaning the council must consider the application’s impact on the area’s character.
Upholding the decision to recommend approval, the report suggests the restaurant will create jobs for 15 to 20 people and “help support the vitality of the town centre”.
The application was submitted in late August of this year and a decision will be made by councillors on a Mid Suffolk development control committee on Wednesday.