Plans for a new restaurant and takeaway at a Stoke-on-Trent business park have been refused.

Pattys Tunstall Limited submitted an application to change the use of a unit at Tunstall Trade Park, Brownhills Road, and install an extraction unit.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council rejected the application on 12 May 2026, following a report by planning officers which recommended that the plans were refused.

Planning officers raised concerns about the location outside of the town centre and how close the takeaway would be to a nearby school.

The report stated: "The site is not part of a designated town centre and is located directly adjacent to a high school."

Planning officers added: "It is considered that the scope applied to the search criteria significantly restricted the scope of the sequential and that this inflexibility applied could have filtered out a number of vacant units in the town centre.

"Tunstall and neighbouring Burslem town centres are identified are continuing to have high vacancy rates in retail and commercial units and as such it is considered that a greater flexibility should have been applied to the assessment."

A design and access statement submitted alongside the application stated: "The intended use will be aimed for local businesses and employees that are within the trade park due to there being no other food offering within the vicinity."

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The application added: "The client aims to ensure that child obesity is minimised and should any school children look to visit the premises then a separate healthier food menu will be available to include salads, vegetables and grilled foods.

"However due to Policy C8 being a draft policy and the intended aim of the business being for trade park employees only a certain amount of weight can be added for this due to certain objections to this draft policy."

The applicant has the right to appeal the decision.

The full report can be viewed here.