Domino's Pizza approved yards from Somerset secondary school

The company applied to open its latest Somerset outlet at Saxon Place off the A371 Station Road in Cheddar - yards from the entrance to Kings Academy (formerly Kings of Wessex Academy).

The plans were roundly condemned by both Cheddar Parish Council and Kings Academy headteacher Joanne Cowper, who argued the proximity of the outlet would put pupils "at real risk" of obesity and undermine their academic work.

But Somerset Council's planning committee north voted by a wide margin to back the plans when it met in Bridgwater on Tuesday afternoon (October 14).

The site comprises units 5 and 6 of Saxon Place (near the village's Tesco Express store), which were previously occupied by Factory Bargains before its relocation to elsewhere within the same employment area.

The front of unit 5 will serve as the customer entrance, with the food being prepared and cooked on the ground floor while the first floor of the two units will be used for office space.

The business will be open from 11am to 11pm daily, creating ten full-time and 15 part-time jobs for local residents.

Paul Fineran, who sits on Cheddar Parish Council, urged the committee on Tuesday (October 14) to block the plans, arguing it would not only harm local pupils but damage Cheddar's appeal as a tourist destination.

He said: "This fast food outlet will only be 25 metres from a secondary school entrance, in an area where antisocial behaviour is also prevalent.

"There are already multiple takeaway outlets where food can be obtained - including the Village Café and Bakery, the Spice Cottage and Pizza Magic. There is no overarching need for another outlet.

"Takeaway boxes are likely to be discarded in the area, causing unnecessary expense to the authority of clearing them on a daily basis.

"This area is a key tourist location, and refuse is likely to lead to rodent infestation and health issues, which will be detrimental to the area."

Councillor Alistair Hendry (Conservative, Highbridge and Burnham South) dismissed Mr Fineran's concerns, arguing: "There’s a small Tesco on the same road.

"Tesco probably sells warm pasties and warm sausage rolls, which is fast food – it's no different to this.

"I don’t think children would want to buy a pizza during the daytime - they probably couldn't afford it. The arguments against this don't stand up.

"Antisocial behaviour is not an off-shoot of having a pizza shop - it just doesn't work that way. It usually takes place after dark, not during school hours."

Councillor Pauline Ham (whose Cheddar division includes the site) concurred: "They are not building a new building - they're going to utilise a fairly large, run-down, unused property that hasn't had any use for quite a length of time.

"This area doesn't welcome people into Cheddar - it need something clear.

"As it stands at the moment, it's more likely to encourage the gathering of youths for antisocial behaviour than it would be if the place was being used on a daily basis."

Councillor Gill Slocombe (Conservative, Bridgwater West) disagreed, stating that approving this outlet would go against the council's duty to improve and promote public health.

She said: "We either have a policy that we adhere to, or we don’t - we don't just move things around because it suits us.

"This is just wrong - we have to be consistent. I would not want an outlet near a secondary school.

"Schools are trying their very best to put good value meals on, and this is another prime example of children being exploited. I could not support this."

After around half an hour's debate, the committee voted to approve the plans by eight votes to three, with one abstention.