PLANS to open a fish and chips shops in South Ham have been refused by councillors.

As previously reported in the Gazette the controversial application would have seen the former Lincolns Hardware shop, in Buckland Avenue be redeveloped into a fish and chips, and kebab takeaway site.

However, at a meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s development control committee made the decision to refuse planning permission on grounds of insufficient parking and use of the service yard.

The plans had originally been deferred from a meeting in July this year on the basis that further information on the storage and waste capabilities of the site, the transport, parking and deliveries at the site.

When councillors debated the application again on Wednesday (September 11), Norden ward councillor, Cllr Paul Harvey said these issues had still not been addressed.

He said: “The car parking provision is still not clear, specifically when it comes to staff parking in the area.

“The location is important in regards to the whole shopping parade not just this site and I still have questions around it

“At this moment I don’t have the answers that I seek so I cannot support this application.”

At the previous meeting South Ham ward councillor, Cllr Sean Keating had raised concerns that there was already a number of takeaways along the parade of shops and the addition of another was not necessary.

Concerns were also raised as to the deliveries that the store would receive, as well as the storage of the shop and the waste that would be produced.

Councillors voted unanimously to refuse the plans.