A FRIED chicken takeaway bid ruffled parish councillors’ feathers.

Efforts to open takeaway restaurant Chicken Cottage were slammed at South Swindon Parish Council’s planning committee on Tuesday evening.

The takeaway franchise wants to take on a former Indian restaurant on Victoria Road.

Chicken Cottage applied to the borough council to extend opening hours for the restaurant to 4am on weekends and create a new shop frontage.

The council’s conservation officer objected to the new shop front designs on the grounds that it did not fit with the conservation area.

John Somers, conservation officer, said that although architects had improved on an earlier glass window design “the amendments do not go far enough and lack sufficient detail to be appropriate”.

Parish councillors lodged formal objections to the proposals.

Councillor Paul Dixon said: “Can we ask that the council places conditions on the planning so that the design fits in with the conservation area or is cognisant of the conservation officer’s recommendations?”

Coun Nadine Watts, vice chairman of the parish planning committee, said of the extended opening hours: “They were trying to argue that it was in the interests of amenity that they stayed open until 4am in the morning, because it was kind of doing the residents a favour in that they were staggering the times that people could come up the hill to get their burgers and chicken.

“I don’t think it’s in the interests of amenity. I think we should object.”

In their application to change the use of the shop from a bakery/café to takeaway, agents Willis & Co. wrote on behalf of their client Mr N Yousaf said that the extended hours would encourage “steady flow of footfall” through the night.

Allowing a takeaway to open late at night would “help develop a vibrant and active Old Town district,” they added.

Objections or comments supporting the plans can be made in writing to the borough council planning office before December 28. The planning reference for the change in opening hours is S/17/1899.