A businessmen hoping to open a takeaway in a Norfolk village will today discover if his bid has been successful - despite objections from the leader of the county council.
Aleksandar Singartiliev has been attempting to open a takeaway in a former opticians in Brundall for more than a year, in a saga that has already seen him overturn a council decision at appeal.
His original bid to launch a pizza takeaway was refused by Broadland District Council's planning committee but the businessman won an appeal against the decision.
However, the length of this process led to him losing his business partner - a pizza specialist - and thus, he applied to tweak his plan to open a general takeaway instead.
The proposal has been met with trepidation from Andrew Proctor, leader of Norfolk County Council, who is also district councillor for Brundall, who described his reason as weak.
He said: 'It is a very weak reason to say the pizza specialist is no longer in the business and therefore plans change. I am sure there are others who would welcome such a job opportunity.
'A general hot food takeaway is a totally different proposition and will create different smells and adverse environmental conditions for the adjoining hairdressers, occupants of the flats above and nearby residents.'
Mr Singartiliev said the process has been frustrating and that should his bid be refused, he would immediately launch another appeal.
He said: 'There is nowhere in Brundall selling kebabs, pizza or fried chicken and I am trying to bring this to them, but you wonder what the point in trying is.'
Council officers have recommended his plan for approval, with the committee to decide its fate this morning.
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