PLANS to build a KFC on the edge of Colchester have been thrown out... for the second time.

Councillors voted to reject the proposals, citing concerns over how close the drive-thru, in Ipswich Road, in Colchester, is to a historic cottage and to a well-used Premier Inn.

Plans for the scheme previously went undetermined by Tendring Council in 2013 and were subsequently thrown out by a Government planning inspector.

However the firm submitted fresh plans late last year and they have bene recommended for approval by council planners.

But the authority’s planning committee unanimously voted against the plans, despite the proposed restaurant being further away from the historic Lion and Lamb cottage.

Rodney and Stephanie Dass, who have lived in property for more than 20 years, said they were pleased with the outcome but were bracing themselves for a second appeal.

Mr Dass said: “There was a degree of trepidation because of the recommendation and because the reason they lost last time was because of the proximity to us.

“But that still left the car parking spaces right at the foot of our garden fence and we would say there would still be a great deal of intrusion.”

He added: “The difference in this instance was drive-thru element of it and all the potential smells were right outside the Premier Inn and KFC seemed to dismiss those concerns as unimportant.

“And I think the committee did actually take exception to that.”

During a three-minute Have Your Say session, Mrs Dass pointed to the planned opening hours for the restaurant - between 6am and 11pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays.

She added: “I think that hit home with councillors because they realised how much of an impact it would have on us.

“Those are just the opening times as well so you’d expect deliveries either side of that so you really could be looking at anywhere between 18 and 19 hours-a-day.”

The pair were among more than 15 campaigners who attended the planning committee hearing on Wednesday night.

Despite the relief at the outcome, they are still bracing themselves for an appeal from KFC.

Mr Dass added: “It would be nice to say this is the end and effectively they have been turned down three times now but there does seem to be a determination there to have this restaurant here, so we will see.”

The restaurant would have created about 45 jobs.

Ardleigh Parish Council had strongly objected to the plans and, in the days before the meeting, attacked the planner’s recommendation.

In a strongly-worded comment, the council suggested officers had been “misled” and had only carried out “(at best) a very basic investigation” into the impact of the planned scheme.

The objection also accused the officers of “a clear failure”. KFC was contacted for comment.