A BID to create a new café and takeaway in Corringham's town centre shopping complex has been vetoed by planning officers, despite minimal objections from local residents.

Ward councillors Jack Duffin, Alex Anderson and Shane Ralph had the opportunity to 'call in' the application so it would be debated by councillors in public but they did not do so – in fact Cllr Ralph was one of just two people to object.

Two people did support the application after local opinion was consulted – but little record of what they said has been made available, nor who they are.

The applicant, Vakkas Gilgil, wanted to create a café at the premises at 17 Grover Walk under the brand OMG Desserts. A similar successful operation is already open in Basildon.

The premises is currently being operated as a second hand mobile phone sales and repair business.

A planning officer created a report that weighed and balanced the reasons for and against the scheme and recommended approval. One of the reasons given was that a previous application for a café on the site had been rejected and an appeal against that decision was lost, with the planning inspector saying: "No meaningful marketing evidence has been provided to show that there is no long term retail demand for the application premises; the proposal is therefore contrary to the referenced policies."

And in the report, the planning officer went reference that the application, if granted, would mean two food outlets side-by-side, saying: "The proposed change of use from a retail use to a cafe use would result in two non- A1 uses next to each other and take the overall level of non- A1 shops to 50% of the total of shops in the designated Central Shopping Parade."

In his objection Cllr Ralph said: "It has be brought to my attention by local residents and business owners in Corringham that an application has gone in for another eating outlet in Corringham.

"We already have 10 eating outlets in the town centre and six of them you can already sit down and eat in.

"I don't feel this will be in the interest of the local community and local businesses."

The other objection came from Mr David Everett, who lives in Stanford town not Corringham, and he said: " I would strongly object to this plan on the grounds that as an elderly person who relies on local shops this another food outlet in an area which has Indian, Chinese, fish and chip, pizza, kebab takeaways and several cafes and restaurants within a couple of mile radius apart from the fact it's another shop we have lost between food outlets, estate agents, barbers and charities opening in any empty premises.

"Please consider people who cannot get to the out of town shopping centres every day and are relying on local shops. On another note, another food outlet would create yet more rubbish around the town centre."

There were no objections from the council's three statutory consultees, Highways, Environmental Health and Emergency Planning. The environment officer added: "The Environmental Health Food Team has reviewed the proposed layout of the food preparation area and have no adverse comments to make."

No detail is given of the two letters of support other than to say they welcome the creation of jobs, support for local business and community investment.

Thurrock Council is currently considering another application across the parade of shops, to turn a barber's at 14 Grover Walk into a medical clinic, which currently operates on Stanford's King Street but is seeking to move to larger premises.