Second bid for Asda rooftop food court after safety refusal

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 02:32 · Archive

A second planning application has been submitted for a rooftop food venue on an Asda car park in Walsall that was previously refused over fire safety concerns.

A second planning application has been submitted for a Rooftop Food Court on top of an Asda multi-storey car park in Walsall. The venue, operated by Easy Park, originally opened without permission in 2025 and featured around a dozen shipping containers offering street food, a silent outdoor cinema and seating for 350 people.

Walsall Council shut down the operations with a temporary stop notice in October 2025, citing an 'immediate risk to public safety'. Initial plans were refused by the council's planning committee in April 2026. Inspectors found several fire exits at the car park were blocked with cable ties, a steel plate and a roller shutter. The foul drainage system for fats and grease was illegally attached to the council's surface highway system and was described by a drainage consultant as the 'worst workmanship they'd seen in 45 years'.

When the applicant appealed the refusal to the planning inspector, the decision was upheld. Inspector B Plenty found that the proposal would create 'an unacceptable fire safety risk and harm to public safety', and also failed to provide suitable toilet and drainage systems, would cause noise and odour affecting residents, harm the Church Hill Conservation Area and impact highway safety.

How it is being reported

• Second planning application submitted for Asda Rooftop Food Court in WalsallInitial plans for the Rooftop Food Court, which opened without permission on top of Asda’s multi-storey car park in 2025, were refused by Walsall Council ’s planning committee in April 2026.Express & Star · 23 Oct, 02:00
• Latest bid to set up Asda Rooftop Food Court previously described as 'like Grenfell'The first refusal was appealed to the planning inspector but later dismissedBirminghamLive · 22 Oct, 15:04

In this story: Asda · Easy Park · Walsall · Walsall Council

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