THURROCK Council has refused an application to turn an Afro Caribbean store in Grays into a restaurant and takeaway.

Mama G's Afro Caribbean Store 21 Broadway asked for permission to run a restaurant in the store and create a new kitchen from which a takeway service would operate from a collection window to the rear of the building.

The store specialises in fresh produce, "encouraging a healthy eating lifestyle whilst also catering for the Afro-Caribbean community providing them with familiar food that is difficult to get hold of in Thurrock".

Owners proposed to open from 12noon to 10pm from Sunday to Thursday and to 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

The applicant said the proposal "would not result in any unacceptable noise or significant disturbance to nearby residential units".

They added: "Overall, the existing use would have an acceptable impact upon the nearby residential amenity of neighbouring occupiers. The proposal is considered acceptable on balance and would not have any significant impact on the amenities of the adjoining occupiers."

However, planning officers raised concerns about parking. In a report they said: "The applicant plans to run a takeaway service using known delivery companies. These companies use drivers with motorcycles.

"The application indicates that the existing two full time and one part time employees will be increased to five – three full time and two part time.

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"There is neither off street nor staff parking provided with this application."

Officers added: "The proposed change of use to a restaurant/take away would, by virtue of the location of the application site at the corner of Blockhouse Road and Broadway and the lack of any off-street parking, be likely to result in increases in vehicle trips to and from the site, and the stopping off of vehicles at this location or on the highway in the immediate vicinity which would raise severe concerns regarding the potential impact on the highways network."