Decision on Domino’s Pizza in Saffron Walden deferred

Fast food customers do not get buses, according to one district councillor.

He said having a bus station near a proposed takeaway giant in Saffron Walden would not stop people from parking outside the restaurant.

Fears over the impact Domino’s Pizza would have on the traffic in the centre of the town were raised at Uttlesford District Council’s ­planning committee yesterday (Wednesday).

Nine committee members voted to defer the application until they had more information on the impact of traffic, whether the takeaway would be delivering, and for a marketing report on the store.

Councillors were concerned that if the application for the takeaway to move into premises between Market Row and Hill Street was approved, customers would park outside, ­causing congestion and obstructing firefighters from getting out of the station opposite.

The officer’s report said traffic should not be a problem because the site was close to local bus services and, if people were to park outside, they would be doing so illegally, and could be penalised by traffic wardens.

However, Saffron Walden ­councillor Bob Eastham refuted this suggestion, saying that he was “yet to hear of anybody going on a bus to buy pizza”.

He said: “It is most inappropriate. There will be parking there.

“There will not be any tickets issued because there are no parking wardens after 5.30pm.

“There will be congestion because that is the narrowest part of one of the oldest roads in Saffron Walden.”

Ward councillor for the area Doug Perry called the application ­“unacceptable” and raised a number of concerns.

He said: “Firstly, is there a need? There are three, if not four, fast food outlets that already sell the same sort of food they wish to do within a few hundred yards of the place.

“We all know that people who go to these takeaways do not like to walk and there is nowhere for them to park.

“I have serious concerns that ­firemen will be obstructed and they will not be able to get out.”