Eyebrows of locals have been raised at the fact that Sutton Planning had secured a Planning Notice outside Poundland to notify that it was to be turned into a Fast Food Takeaway; without the knowledge of Poundland themselves !  A series of High Street closures have gripped the town and this beloved discount shop may be the last straw for many people. 

Richard Johnson, from the Neighborhood Watch, frustratedly said that  ‘the last thing we need is the addition of a backlog of vehicles waiting to order a takeaway!’ Since Central Road is already no stranger to bottlenecks, it is no surprise that many locals are distressed by the idea.

On the Sutton Council website, under planning number DM2023/01328, the project is under the status of ‘ pending consideration’ which will allow the public and other stakeholders to appeal for or against the idea and comment on the website. Mainly complaining about congestion and the anti-social behaviour caused by a takeaway, 114 comments have been submitted, most of which are negative, placing a mountain of pressure on the developers. Councilor Tom Drummond expressed his intention to de-delegate the application, thus making it certain that it is brought before the Planning Committee, where it can be further examined publicly. Although Poundland have expressed no intention of closing down their Worcester Park Branch , they do not own the property but rent it, which means they have little say in the application. 

To find out more about the strength of public support for Poundland , I spoke to Ms Gabrielle Lee, who strongly objected the project:

SK: “ Is your stance related to sheer opposition to the takeaway or an outpour of support for Poundland?”

GL: “Well it’s really about traffic, really. The new place will have a lot of vehicles coming in and out of it and it’s such a busy part of the road anyway, so that’s my main objection.”

SK: “ You mention in your comment that Central Road already has some ‘concerning air quality issues’, what evidence is this based on?

GL: “Well, I’ve read it in the local press and our social media pages that mention the high air pollution level readings, so I’m concerned about that as well. A new restaurant is only going to exacerbate this.”

SK: “You also highlight the problem of litter, but is this not a problem already prevalent at Poundland, as they sell a variety of cheaply available snacks?”

GL: “ Yeah, but they sell so much more than cheaply available snacks, I mean everyone that comes out of a takeaway will be out bringing disposable goods and some won’t dispose of it safely.”
SK: “ How often do you use Central Road?”

GL: “ Daily, for sure.”

SK: “ Do you think Tom Drummond is moving in the right direction?”

GL: “ There needs to be a public consultation because many people will feel really strongly about it ; it needs to be transparent.”

Many people like Ms Lee hold bated breath in anticipation of the Council’s decision on the matter, with traffic being a major concern for all those living near Central Road.