AN APPEAL has been lodged after councillors rejected plans for a 120 seat restaurant in Marsh.

Businessman Afzal Khan sought change of use consent to turn the former cinema, supermarket and DIY store off Westbourne Road into a restaurant.

Kirklees councillors on the Huddersfield Planning Committee rejected it on May 2 – supporting the 464 name petition and 30 people who wrote to the council in opposition to it.

The 15 councillors voted unanimously to reject the application on highway and amenity grounds.

But an appeal has now been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.

In a letter planning agent David Storrie Associates has outlined the applicant’s case.

The statement says: “The reasons for refusal relate to residential amenity and to insufficient parking.

“These matters were dealt with by the applicant in the submissions to the satisfaction of the Council Officers.

“The application proposes 59 parking spaces, a ratio of 50% parking for the 120 covers proposed.

“This is far in excess of any standards contained in relevant planning policy.

“Noise and disturbance have been dealt with by the imposition of relevant conditions, the appropriate location of plant and extraction, and sufficient parking.”

The planning committee said the proposed restaurant, by reason of its nature and scale, would have a detrimental impact on the amenities of nearby residents.

The official rejection refusal said the “use would intensify activities at the site in particular in the evening and night time. The comings and goings of patrons and staff would increase noise and disturbance...”

An appeal has been lodged but it is yet to be decided.