Plans for a fast food chain in a Huntingdonshire village were approved this week (July 15), despite resistance from the local town council.

A planning application was submitted to the council to convert the former Barclays Bank building in Ramsey into a Domino's.

At the Huntingdonshire District Council Development Management Committee meeting on July 15, councillors and planning officers discussed whether to approve the plans.

Recommended Reading: Ramsey Domino's proposal in former Barclays met with refusal

A report was put forward by planning officer Kevin Simpson, which stated that officers recommended the approval of the plans, despite Ramsey Town Council objecting to them.

The report said that the building, which sits in the Great Whyte, is a vacant Grade II Listed Building with "ample" parking facilities located nearby.

It stated that the opening hours of the Dominos would be from 11am until 11pm, seven days a week. Mr Simpson said: "These aren't unfamiliar business hours in the town as there's other pubs and takeaways surrounding it."

Ramsey Town Council's objections to the plans were on the grounds of parking and highways concerns. 

Cllr Val Fendley, Mayor of Ramsey, spoke to the panel on behalf of Ramsey Town Council. She said: "I want to make clear that Ramsey Town Council are keen to develop our town centre.

"Some people are of the opinion that there are too many takeaways in Ramsey. I would suggest that another takeaway will not add vitality to the town centre."

Cllr Fendley also spoke of her concerns for local businesses if the Dominos was given the green light, saying: "A large chain business will take away from existing family-run businesses in the town.

"We have a new commercial area developing close to Tesco. This is a much more appropriate location for this kind of offer."

She said that Ramsey Town Council has concerns over parking, as the building sits on a busy junction with double yellows.

Cllr Sam Wakeford pushed back on Ramsey Town Council's objections, asking Cllr Fendley: "Does Ramsey Town Council recognise that the proposal improves vitality to the status quo? It's an empty building."

The Mayor of Ramsey responded: "The building wasn't empty for very long and there were other people interested in taking it on."

Andrew Hodgson, the agent for the application, said: "This application offers another choice to existing takeaways, and parking isn’t an issue – it’s amongst shops.

"We need to get this listed building back in use. The longer a listed building gets left, it goes into disrepair."

Mr Hodgson said that the new takeaway will create 25 full-time and part-time jobs, delivery drivers will be managed in a staggered manner, and produce deliveries will be brought over in vans rather than HGVs.

Cllr Jon Neish said: "The plan is utilising something that isn’t in use. I have concerns over parking in the future, but, that aside, I see no reasons why we shouldn’t utilise this."

Cllr Eric Butler added: "It's a lovely building and it'd be nice to see it in use. There is parking in Mews Close for people popping over, so I fully support it."

The plans were approved, and Dominos has now got the green light to get going in Ramsey.