A NEW takeaway will be allowed to open in a city street despite the council previously ruling there were already enough fast food restaurants in the area.

Takeaway owner Tianxia Chen has had plans to open a new Chinese restaurant in Astwood Road backed by Worcester City Council.

The decision comes after the council rejected a plan by Abdul Waheed to open a takeaway and catering business rejected by city council planners a year ago.

Last April, council planners said there were already enough takeaways in the area and allowing another to open would be noisier and create more bad smells as well as generate more pollution through constant deliveries.

The council also said opening another takeaway would restrict access to healthier food for residents.

Reaction to the latest takeaway plan by Tianxia Chen, who previously ran Lotus House in Droitwich, was fairly negative during public consultation.

Some neighbours agreed with the council and said there were already enough takeaways and restaurants in the area and pleaded for planners to reject the latest plans.

Others were are also concerned by the lack of parking in an already busy area having seen their driveway regularly used as a place to turn around.

The original takeaway plan also received a mixed reaction from neighbours during consultation.

Whilst some were concerned by more cars on the road, others supported the plan saying it would bring an eyesore empty building back into use and would create jobs.

In its rejection to Mr Waheed last year, the city council said: "The clustering and over-dominance of food outlets in the area - both hot food takeaways, restaurants and cafes has an impact both in terms of access to food which are considered to contribute to poor diet and unhealthy food choices."

The council added that too many takeaways in a small area had "negative consequences" particularly through cooking smells and constant deliveries.

Astwood Road and Rainbow Hill was declared one of the worst areas in the city for pollution in a recent report and council planners said more cars parking outside would make it worse.

"Air quality within the air quality management area is poor quality with high levels of emissions and pollution," the council added.

"The impact of the traffic and vehicle trips generated to and from an additional hot food takeaway will lead to an further decrease of air quality in the area."