A FIGHT to prevent a fifth takeaway food shop opening in a village centre has been lost.

Government inspector Alan Booth has ruled against Rossendale Council which turned down plans to turn a greengrocers in Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, into a hot food takeaway.

The council rejected the application on the grounds that there were already enough takeaways in the area.

Planners claimed that of the 60 shops in Waterfoot, a quarter sold hot food.

But Mr Booth described the council's figure as "flawed" because it included cafes, pubs, bakeries and delicatessens in its calculations.

The inspector added that in his view there were only four genuine hot food takeaways in Waterfoot and an extra one on the edge of the town centre would not be excessive. In his report following an inspection of the area he said: "I conclude that a hot food takeaway, in this edge of town centre location, would have no significant impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre of Watarfoot."

Mr Booth added that no evidence had been submitted to suggest a takeaway would harm local residents and there was enough on-street parking for the shop.

In giving permission the inspector has stipulated that opening hours should not be outside 8am to midnight on any day of the week.

Councillors have turned down an application by the owner of a pizza and kebab house in Yorkshire Street, Bacup, to extend his opening hours from midnight to 2am.

The planning sub-committee backed planners' views that the extended opening hours would lead to excessive late-night noise and nuisance in a largely residential block.

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