Village green catering truck plan refused

Plans for a food truck on a village green have been refused as they go against a council's takeaways policy.

A planning application for a trailer on Millennium Green in Oxenhope was submitted to Bradford Council last year.

Applicant Rachel Coe said the catering trailer would deliver a "clear community facility, enhancing the social and economic vitality of Oxenhope".

But planners said the proposals went against a policy that blocks takeaways from opening within 400m of a school, play area, park or other facility frequented by children.

The public park and recreation space opened in 2000 and is located within Oxenhope Station Road Conservation Area.

Seven letters of support were submitted to the council but 25 people wrote to object to the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

One objector said: "This is a quiet natural space, used by wildlife. A food truck is inappropriate."

One of the supporting letters said: "The proposal will benefit visitors to the area and existing residents to eat and have a meeting place."

A report by council planning officers said the policy had been put in place because of Bradford's high rates of early cardiovascular mortality.

According to the National Child Measurement Programme, 21.6% of children in reception class (aged 4- 5) and 35.4% in year 6 (aged 10-11) were overweight or obese.

Officers said the policy had been introduced to "manage the proliferation of fast food outlets".

They added the plans gave inadequate information about park benches, picnic tables and servicing and waste provision.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.