There was general, even enthusiastic approval among town councillors on the planning committee that the arrival of a Rick Stein restaurant at Lloran House in the High Street would be good for the town.
But five women from the nine homes in Old Lion Court just behind Lloran House, expressed anxieties about the plans. They are worried about arrangements for the restaurant’s deliveries and its waste disposal, cooking smells and noise – and that second floor diners will look into the windows of the end house – No. 7.
The committee voted the plans through without dissent, but on the understanding that conditions should be attached to Wiltshire Council’s approval covering points raised by the local residents.
Councillor Nick Fogg, who represents that part of town, said he would ‘call in’ the application so objectors can in due course put their concerns directly to the members of Wiltshire Council’s Eastern Planning Committee.
The application for a New Premises Licence for the restaurant raised similar concerns – especially over its opening hours.