11:00am Sunday 1st August 2010
By Chris Gregory
A FORMER wine shop in Hook could become either an Indian restaurant or a dental surgery.
Using delegated powers, planning officers at Hart District Council approved an application by a Mr Kabir to change the former Wine Rack building in London Road, into a curry house.
But Hart council now has to deal with a second “change-of-use” application for the site, this time by Dentalcare Limited, which wants to build a dental practice with room for NHS patients.
The decision to approve the curry house came despite 20 letters of objection, an objection by Hook Parish Council, and a petition with more than 180 signatures from residents and neighbouring shop owners.
They feared a curry house would lead to more parking, particularly on the residential Elms Road that runs behind the shop. They were also concerned about fumes.
One objector, Paula Budden, wrote: “On a warm day the smell from the other local food establishments is quite overpowering.
“In the stretch of shops there is already a similar establishment, surely two of the same within three shops is overkill.”
Another, Donna Clayton, wrote: “It would be more sensible for a wider choice of food to be made available to the population of Hook especially those who do not like or cannot eat spiced foods.”
But the planning officers rejected these arguments in granting the application, claiming that most of the objections given did not amount to valid reasons for refusal under the planning rules and that proper ventilation should eliminate smell concerns for neighbours.
The dental surgery proposal seeks to convert the building to three surgeries, a reception area and a stock room, and open between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday.
The application has already attracted a handful of supporting comments from villagers, and at least one objection.
The district council will decide on the dental application by August 27.
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