Mamma mia!! Tameside ban on Pasta and spaghetti. Italian restaurant falls foul of blinkered planning policy.

Restaurant owner Alessio Muccio faces financial ruin due to the decision of Tameside planning department not to allow him to open his restaurant after 6pm at night. In this week's ADVERTISER it is reported that according to Mr Muccio he approached the licensing for advice and was informed he could open until 11pm. It was only after he had signed the lease that he was told that he needed planning permission to open past 6pm, permission which was refused "because the restaurant was in a residential area".

The first response is one involving the phrase "arse and elbow". Could the two departments not liaise?

The following comes from Tameside's own "Local Agenda 21" :-

QUOTE...

• Business Link Tameside, Denton: Tel - 0161 XXX-XXXX
  Business Link is a one stop shop for businesses. A number of business support agencies can be contacted including Tameside MBC departments, Groundwork Tameside, Tameside Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Manchester TEC......contd.  ...UNQUOTE

Just read that again. "....a one stop shop.....including Tameside MBC departments."

So what went wrong? Could the answer be contained in the original article, which tells us that Mr Muccio sank his own savings into the business and not a Tameside grant? Having accepted the principle of a one stop shop the council now seems to be going against it's own (former) policies. It is a pity that an honest small businessman has to pay the price.