Food and Drink Uses

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Food and drink culture is a vital component of placemaking and serves as a key aspect of Southampton’s leisure industry and economy, particularly in the city, town, district and local centres. Southampton’s diverse range of restaurants, public houses, snack bars, cafes, wine bars and hot food takeaways serve the needs of Southampton’s residents and workers whilst also creating jobs and a destination setting for tourists. However, these businesses can sometimes cause unnecessary disturbance. The potential for noise from within the premises, from customers entering and leaving the premises and from cooking smells is common, whilst the potential for litter is a particular issue related to units that sell hot food to take away.  

High concentrations of hot food takeaways can lead to negative impacts on designated centres, particularly if units are closed for substantial parts of the day; and can also contribute to unhealthy diets resulting in higher obesity rates as is now being observed in the city. It is therefore important that Southampton’s Local Plan takes a balanced approach regarding the city’s food and drink sector; one which recognises the importance of food and drink culture, whilst also ensuring that appropriate mitigation actions are taken where possible to reduce any potentially harmful impacts stemming from these types of businesses.