A campaign to allow a Wiltshire town’s “best kebab van” to continue trading from a pub car park has been given a major boost.
Yilmaz Kebabs has been trading in the car park of The Pack Horse pub, on London Road in Chippenham, since early July.
The business had been without a home after being forced to temporarily relocate from its usual spot at Bumpers Farm Roundabout because of the ongoing A350 roadworks.
A retrospective planning application has since been submitted to Wiltshire Council to allow the business to continue operating in the car park.
This has received widespread support from locals, with over 600 comments in support of the plans being lodged already.
At a Chippenham Town Council planning committee meeting on Thursday, August 14, members decided not to object to the plans following this “overwhelming” support.
“There is obviously a lot of public support, on a quick scan I couldn’t find a single objection amongst those comments, so I’m quite happy for it to go ahead.”
Cllr David Poole added: “I was quite concerned when I first looked at the application, thinking there were going to be quite a few objections to this.
“You look at the amount of people that are for this, and we’re supposed to be here to represent the people that live in the town.
“There was such an overwhelming amount of support that it would be rather churlish of us to try and put in an objection.”
Committee chair Cllr Clare Cape added that the kebab van will meet a need for food outlets in that part of town while it is there.
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She said: “My own observation would be there isn’t much in the way of outlets on the southern side of the town.
“It’s probably welcomed by residents, which is why there has been that level of support.”
The lack of objections from the town council is an important boost for the plans to retain the van.
The final decision belongs to Wiltshire Council and is expected in September, with the consultation still live until August 27.
Owner Turan Yilmaz said: “We have 25 years of experience and I am operating a business that has never had a problem.
“The Pack Horse pub supported me to run my business again… if you allow us to work until the day we return to our old place, me and Chippenham's people will be satisfied.”
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