Plans to build retail units on a supermarket car park in Bungay have been unanimously refused.

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

At the meeting there were speakers from Bungay Town Council and a resident from nearby Farm Close, who both spoke against the plans.

Then in just under two minutes, councillors at WDC turned down the plans.

WDC had recommended for the plans to be refused.

Graham Elliot, councillor for Beccles north, said: 'I am surprised the meeting has gone that quickly but I think from the site visit we made, it is very clear that the proposals are quite close to the boundaries and I had immediate concern.'

Bungay Town Council also recommended for the plans to be refused, while 12 letters of objection were received from the public as part of the consultation process.

The main concern expressed was how close the site would be to properties adjacent on Farm Close.

A resident who spoke on behalf of all residents living on the road, said: 'One of the units is a hot food outlet which would be immediately adjacent to several Farm Close properties. These properties would undoubtedly be subjected to noise, disturbance and smell as a result.

'Plus there is the potential for food containers and other related rubbish to be dumped across the fence and into our gardens and possible disturbance from anti social behaviour that these units might attract.'

Susan Collins from Bungay Town Council added: 'The original move of this food store to this site had a significant and negative impact on businesses in our town centre and we continually struggle to sustain attractive, diverse businesses in order to maintain Bungay as a thriving market town.

'We believe this proposal would do nothing but further damage to the infrastructure of our town centre.'

Should the plans have gone through, the units would have contained retail and hot food usage.

No representatives from Central England Cooperative spoke at the meeting.