The picture at post 362 shows that there were some buildings in that area before the DFO (thus correcting my incorrect belief that the area had been vacant prior to the DFO).
If the particular shop in the DFO had been a 'Babies R Us' full of young couples and babies, I reckon the DFO would not last long.
The worst place for the worst thing to go wrong is near or just after take off. The most safety-useful open space is therefore near the runway. Why that space within the boundaries of an aerodrome is allowed to be taken up by buildings that have no function in the operation of the aerodrome, and worse, by buildings and car parks that can be full of people who don't have anything to do with the operation of the aerodrome, needs to be thought about more deeply.