A fish and chip shop can open in a Colchester Post Office after councillors overturned officers' recommendations to refuse the plans.

An application to open the takeaway in the Mile End Post Office was considered at a meeting of Colchester Council's planning and traffic regulation committee last night (Thursday).

Councillors agreed the plans should be given the go-ahead for five years, providing the fish and chip shop was a secondary aspect to the store.

The takeaway, which will be open from 5pm to 8pm, was thought up by owner Vincent Ranzulla in a bid to safeguard the future of the Post Office and newsagents.

He said without further financial support the business could not survive.

The plans were first turned down in February on the grounds there wasn't enough parking and the chippy would cause a loss of amenities for people living in the area.

Mr Ranzulla submitted further information and collected more than 700 names on a petition showing great local support for his plans, which were again recommended for refusal at last night's meeting.

However, councillors decided to cast aside the advice of their officers and allow the scheme to get the go-ahead for a trial period of five years.

Following the meeting Mr Ranzulla said he was delighted at the news and said the community who had supported him would be too.

He thanked everyone who had shown their support for his plans and said he was pleased the committee had also decided to vote against the officers' recommendation.

Lucy Wood (Lab, Mile End) said although one of the main objections to the plans was lack of parking there were lots of spaces in near by streets where people could park for short periods of time.

Henry Spyvee (Lib Dem, Castle) said he was sure the local people wanted a fish and chip shop and also wanted to keep their Post Office so this combination was really attractive.

But Elizabeth Blundell (Con, West Bergholt and Eight Ash Green) said she was unhappy about the road traffic problems the creation of a takeaway could cause to the area.

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