A former leather tailoring shop in Gorse Hill could become a takeaway restaurant.

But the prospect does not at all please the people who run the florist Floral Design right next door.

The former Cobra leather shop at 1-3 Whitehouse Road, just south of the junction with Ferndale Road has been closed since 2021 but now applicant Mr Deen wants it to re-open but as a takeaway restaurant.

His application says the conversion to a takeaway would add variety to the retail and food offer in the street and “support the ongoing economic viability of the area".

It adds that there are no takeaways in Whitehouse Road, and says: "The proposed takeaway seeks to open during the day and evening and would help to support the function of the area nearby, as an additional place for employees and visitors to eat and socialise.

“The business would create two full-time jobs. The proposals would increase footfall within this area and support the mixed uses without detriment to neighbouring uses.”

As Swindon Borough Council has policies in place which restrict the number of takeaways near schools - and the application makes the point that the nearest secondary school is Swindon Academy 1.2km away.

The hours of operation in the application would be from 11am to 11pm every day.

The proposal has drawn one letter of objection so far from the proprietor of the florist next door at 5 Whitehouse Road.

The proprietor wrote: “We object to the change of use because of the smell of cooking which would come from the property all day, and would invariably be coming into our property, and customers coming into our shop to order flowers want to smell flowers, not horrible cooking smells.

“We also object because of the rubbish which always seems to be anywhere a fast-food outlet is.”

Both the neighbour and Mr Deen say there are double yellow lines which prevent parking outside the proposed takeaway.

Mr Deen says: “There is unrestricted on-street parking in the surrounding streets which would allow for safe parking for customers collecting orders.”

But the florist owner says: “There is insufficient parking in the area as the takeaway would be right on the busy traffic lights on the corner of Ferndale Road. Ipswich Street is the street next to our shop and that is nearly always full of cars, so no parking available there.”

The florist says it will install barriers at its shop front to prevent customers of the takeaway parking in front of it.