PLANS to turn a former newsagents into a takeaway have received 80 letters of support.

The bid to convert the empty shop in Plantation Street, Accrington, are to be discussed by Hyndburn Council's planning committee next week.

Developers say although there is a Chinese takeaway and chip shop next door but there are no other takeaways in the area.

The proposed takeaway is within 400 metres of Benjamin Hargreaves primary school and so it is recommended to limit the hours the restaurant would be able to open.

The applicant has proposed opening times of 7am-2pm and 3pm-11pm on Monday to Friday and 7am-2pm and 3pm to 1am on weekends.

But council bosses have suggested limiting opening hours to between 10am and 2pm and 5pm to 10pm on Mondays to Fridays and 7am to 2pm and 3pm to 11pm on weekends.

Three letters of objection have been received against the development, citing fears about parking problems, litter, noise and smell.

Objectors also claimed the area does not need another takeaway and said it could decrease the value of surrounding properties.

A report to go before the committee states: "There is one hot food takeaway in the immediate area, the rest of the area consists of residential and a handful of commercial properties.

"It is considered that the addition of the hot food takeaway subject to this planning permission would not give rise to an unacceptable adverse impact on local amenity through the over-concentration of hot food takeaways."

Committee members will also debate a single storey extension to an existing annexe at a house in Allsprings Close, Great Harwood.

The application site was subject to a successful planning application in 2010 for a single storey annex for the applicant’s mother.

The permitted annexe had 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area and a living area and was completed.

But last year, enforcement action commenced due to the fact that the applicant had built a second storey onto the annexe.

Three letters of objection have been received expressing concern about parking problems and the "overbearing" impact of the development.

Despite this, the application is recommended for approval.

A report into the development states: " It is considered that there would be no adverse impact in terms of neighbouring amenity due to the annexe being largely hidden from view and no windows facing directly into neighbouring habitable rooms within a 21m distance.

"As the proposal is only increasing the bedrooms from two to three, it is not foreseeable that there would be an increase in traffic and thus parking need, as a result of the development."