PLANNING permission for AJ's Kebabs, the static food van near Hangar 88 in Hullavington has been refused by Wiltshire Council.

The static food van, which sells kebabs, pizza, burgers and chicken, was set up off the A429 without planning permission, in front of Hangar 88 which is used by M4 Karting.

The former mobile food van had been extended with decking and a ramp, a food preparation and storage area, customer seating, and an outside waste storage area. Plans for a static food van with an extension and a car wash were refused once before, in December 2016.

St Paul Malmesbury Without parish council raised objections to the new application.

They said: "Firstly the council does not believe the proposed structure and proposed materials, sited within the curtilage of a listed building, either maintain or enhance the listed building that sits immediately behind it."

The parish council was also worried about transport: "The development site is located remote from a designated residential settlement, is poorly served by public transport, has no facilities to allow pedestrians to safely walk to the site and hence would be wholly reliant on motorised journeys."

The parish council said they realised new highway arrangements were planned for the road network next to the site because of the Dyson development on Hullavington Airfield, and did not want to see the number of journeys increased further by people travelling to the food van.

According to the planning statement by Willis & Co, the owner of the restaurant accepted the design of the building was ‘somewhat haphazard’ and wanted to improve it with a repaint or cladding.

They said visitors to the karting centre were the main users of the restaurant,.

The food van was also described as a ‘very well established enterprise,' and one that caused no significant harm to the character and appearance of the area – as Hangar 88 is now painted white, with full height doors painted to mimic a chequered flag.

But planners were not convinced, and concluded it had a negative effect on the Hullavington Airbase Conservation Area, and caused an unacceptable increase in motorised journeys, which went against sustainable transport policy.