Councillor concerned about proposed new shisha bar in Northampton town centre

A proposal has been submitted to the council to create a shisha smoking garden in the garden of a proposed restaurant in Wellingborough Road.

The plan for the restaurant, which has already been approved, and the shisha bar have been drawn up by Design Board Architectural Services on behalf of the applicant Mr Mahmood.

According to the design statement, the shisha garden would be 62sqm in size and would have a proposed capacity for 40 people.

The application states the shisha garden will be screened off with a canopy so it will not be in the direct line of site of any residential properties. It is also stated that no alcohol will be served at the premises.

Councillor Danielle Stone, who represents Castle Ward where the proposed restaurant is situated, said she was objecting to the shisha garden on public health grounds.

In a letter sent to the Northampton Borough Council planning committee Ms Stone said smoking shisha was very harmful to any staff working in the premises.

She said: “The public and users are unaware of the dangers of shisha smoking and in fact often think it is preferable to smoking cigarettes. In fact it is much more harmful for the users but also to people sharing the same space.”

Northampton currently has one other shisha bar the Tuck In at 171 Wellingborough Road.