Plans for a Persian cultural centre in the former H Palace building on Manor Farm Road have been conditionally approved by the council.
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Work already appears to be taking place inside.
The application’s Design and Access Statement said the proposal was for a “Persian Cultural Centre as to offer further diversity for the area and to help locals by providing a place to meet”.
The document said that activities such as language classes, Persian musical concerts, dancing and a range of other activities would be on offer – see our earlier piece here for more detail.
Council officers said the “application proposes relatively minor physical alterations to the existing site maintaining an open street frontage”.
They added: “The surrounding area has an unusual mix of differing uses and it is not considered that the proposal would represent a harmful departure in terms of the surrounding commercial premises”.
Planning documents suggest the building was given change of use permission for a bank and service till in 1982. It was given permission for a change of use from a bank to a restaurant/takeaway in 1996, and again to a restaurant in 2003.
H Palace was put up for sale in 2016.
Previously
Plan for H Palace to become Persian cultural centre