16197/02GAZETTE & HERALD: It's business as usual for a kebab and pizza shop in Corsham's conservation area despite a plea from Councillor Peter Davis to refuse permission for the takeaway in such a picturesque corner of the town.

Members of North Wiltshire District Council's development control committee overrode Coun Davis' concerns at a meeting on Wednesday last week and granted retrospective planning permission for the change of use from shop to food takeaway at Grade II-listed 1 High Street.

After the meeting an angry Coun Davis said: "This opens the gate for people to do what they want and when they want.

"Corsham and other towns are

becoming overrun with convenience food outlets to the detriment of the

appearance of the town, the retail provision and facilities, as well as the environmental aspect.

"This is one of the conservation areas of Corsham, it's right in front of the Methuen Arms Hotel and for people to be able to move in, and do work which has no permission, to make alterations and put flues in to run their cooking facilities, with no consultation or application to the district council, is totally out of order."

Proprietor Orhan Bostanli applied for retrospective permission to change the use of the building and Corsham Town Council objected

because members believed it would be detrimental to the retail facilities in the town.

Planning officers were content to recommend approval because the application did not seek to make any material changes to the building and would therefore conserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.

Officers noted that more than 80 per cent of the ground floor premises in the shopping centre were used for retail shops and didn't believe turning one more unit into a takeaway would undermine the shopping centre.

But at the meeting Coun Davis told members the town centre was already thick with takeaways, with two fish and chip shops nearby, as well as Indian and Chinese takeaways.

"We are the people who control what goes on in the town, and we have enough of these type of businesses already," he said.

But Coun Tudor Jones warned members they must move into the 21st century and accept such developments.

"The shop is perfection in appearance and I can not agree with what Coun Davis is saying," he said.

Coun Davis added: "We are getting overrun with these things and one thing that annoys me more than anything is when people set these things up without so much as a by-your-leave."

When members voted to grant permission he said he was disappointed the committee hadn't supported him.

Afterwards he said many people had mentioned the kebab shop as a problem when he canvassed for support just prior to the recent county council elections.

He said: "Now we're stuck with it and my only hope is that it goes bust.

"Hopefully my pleas will be listened to in the future."

Mr Bostanli said he was pleased the shop had finally been granted planning permission after a year of backlash from the council.

The team of workers, friends and cousins from Turkey, has spent £25,000 revamping the disused building, fitting out the kitchen and sprucing up the decor.

"The building had been closed for eight years," Mr Bostanli said. "It was so rough when we got in and now it's shining."

The shop in Corsham is the latest in a long line, adding to branches in Melksham, Devizes, Chippenham and Salisbury, also owned by Mr Bostanli.