Concerns have been raised over plans to build retail units on the site of a Bungay supermarket's car park.

Proposals by Central England Cooperative to build the units on The Co-op food store site in Hillside Road East will go up before Waveney District Council's (WDC) planning committee on Tuesday.

Bungay Town Council has recommended the plans are refused, while 12 letters of objection were received from the public as part of the consultation process.

One letter issued to WDC from a resident said: 'Putting up these buildings and allowing more retail outlets would take more people out of the centre of Bungay, killing the town which is already in a state of severe decline.'

Other concerns included; the site being too close to houses and boundaries, the noise and smell from the proposed hot food outlet, and loss of parking and privacy.

Should the plans go through each unit will contain retail and hot food usage.

A design and access statement submitted on behalf of the applicants to the council said: 'The works will keep with the materials of the existing convenience store and adjacent petrol filling station with minimum visual effect on the existing scale of the overall site.

'In terms of the overall design, the proposals will allow the opportunity to offer additional employment to the immediate area and provide additional retail services to an existing customer base.'

Concerns have been raised about the location of the proposed development. In a sequential approach assessment, the developers said there are no other sites suitable or available to accommodate the proposals in or on the edge of Bungay town centre.

Bungay Town Council have recommended refusal for the plans on the following grounds;

• Adverse environmental impact on properties adjacent to development (smells, noise and later night traffic)

• Loss of light to these properties as proposed buildings stand to the west of them

• Increase traffic to site and access issues from revised site layout

• New trading units in this location will impact adversely on the viability of Bungay town centre.

What do you think of the plans? Write to bbjletters@archant.co.uk