Jericho Lane playing fields are the latest object of Ray Maatook’s plans for a franchised fast food restaurant with drive-thru — an idea that has blighted a world-famous Liverpool landmark
Ray Maatook, owner of the Penny Lane bus shelter in Allerton(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
A restaurateur who left a world-famous Liverpool landmark to rot for 23 years has set his sights on a new venture. Raad ‘Ray’ Maatook, 71, has owned the bus shelter featured in The Beatles‘ ‘Penny Lane‘ since 1989.
The building became Sergeant Pepper’s Bistro, but closed in 2003 and has remained empty ever since. Speaking to the ECHO in January, Mr Maatook said the building has remained empty as he will only allow a “well established franchise chain”, such as a McDonald’s, to operate from the Allerton landmark.
Mr Maatook said he had written to Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Subway and McDonald’s, and that he planned to erect a drive-thru behind the building, an area he does not own, currently occupied by two bus stops.
Now, Mr Maatook has turned his attention to a new site. The former restaurateur wants to build a fast food restaurant, complete with drive-thru, on the Jericho Lane playing fields, close to Otterspool Park.
Mr Maatook does not own the site, on the Jericho Lane roundabout and opposite Otterspool Recycling Centre, but pumped more than £1,000 into the drawing up of an application.
The site on Jericho Lane (centre), close to Otterspool Park(Image: Google)
In a pre-application report, Sport England indicated they would object to the proposal, with the Football Association also saying they would encourage Sport England to oppose the plans.
In pre-application advice, a Liverpool City Council planning officer rejected Mr Maatook’s claim that the playing field is “underused”, and that building a restaurant on the site would have a “significant adverse effect” on the green space.
The officer also pointed out that St Margaret’s school is just 400m from the site, and therefore planning permission could only be granted if the premises was not open to the public before 5pm on school days. He said: “Even if permission were to be granted, which it would not be, then it would be subject to this condition in the interests of preventing childhood obesity.”
Ray Maatook (left) and architect Kevin Loughrey(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The report points out that, despite the proposal mentioning a drive-thru, no layout of the drive-thru is included in the proposal.
The planning officer concluded that the proposal was not acceptable.
However, Mr Maatook told the ECHO he is keen to press ahead, demanding a meeting with council leader Liam Robinson to discuss the proposal.
The ECHO approached Liverpool City Council for comment.