Urban Pitta plan to move Woodseats takeaway into empty Farmfoods rejected by council over 'childhood obesity'
The fast food chain has exploded in popularity in Sheffield
A plan by Sheffield takeaway chain Urban Pitta to relocate its very first branch into a bigger site was rejected by the council.
The hugely popular fast food has seen an explosive rise in popularity in the city since launching its first site on Chesterfield Road, Woodseats, in 2022.
At its latest opening in Crookes in May 2026 saw queues stretch around the block to grab a promotional £1.99 pitta.
This year, the brand applied to move its premiere takeaway on Chesterfield Road into an empty Farmfoods at the junction of Woodseats Road, around 400m away.
The new premises would have had room for 60 seats in its dining area.
However, Sheffield City Council has rejected the application - citing there are already too many takeaways in the area causing a childhood obesity crisis.
The refusal notice issued this week reads: “Planning permission is hereby REFUSED for the above-mentioned development.
“The Local Planning Authority consider that the provision of further takeaways within the Woodseats District Shopping Centre where there is already a concentration of such uses.
“[This] would exacerbate existing levels of childhood obesity in this locality which has more than 31 per cent of Year 6 children being classified as being very overweight or obese,”
The council said it would welcome “pre-applications discussions on an alternative scheme.”
The application by firm ’Planest’ on behalf of Urban Pitta notes the plan “does not introduce an additional food use to the street but represents the transfer of an existing business within the same urban area to a more suitable unit.”
It also described Urban Pitta as a “healthy food grill restaurant.”
The Farmfoods at the corner of Woodseats Road shut in 2023 and has stood empty ever since.