Saying No to yet more food, fags and litter at Chelmsford Bus station

12.02.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Apr 2008

New block of apartments on top of the bus station

Chelmsford Council's Planning Committee has decided to defer allowing a restaurant, pub or take-away at the bus station, whilst more options are explored. Local residents welcomed the decision and were backed by the local councillor, Lib Dem Jude Deakin

Jude told the committee: "There is a real danger of Fairfield Road deteriorating further. We already have reports of urinating in the entrance to the theatre, and smokers outside the entrance of course. People live here - they don't wish to look out on litter, and they don't need noise and smoke drifting around at all hours of the day and night."

Fellow Cllr. Graham Pooley added: "What the developers of the shopping concourse are asking for wouldn't rule the anti-social problems out at all. We feel there is a better opportunity here even than for a restaurant, let alone a pub or takeaways."

"There's an opportunity to look at really appropriate uses for this bustling location - community uses like a medical drop-in centre, crèche facilities or even a small scale arts and crafts gallery for Essex artists and the like to promote their work."

Efforts are now in hand to track down the new owners of the site, so that at least the planning permission can take into account what the residents living there and the wider community are hoping for.