A burger and chicken restaurant chain could be prevented from opening a branch in Hove after planning officials advised elected members to turn down schemes for a takeaway and drive-through facility.

The dining establishment group has filed a planning submission to build a fresh outlet at 268 Old Shoreham Road in Hove, next to the Majestic Wines outlet.

Local inhabitants have staged protests—including one held the week prior—as they seek to block the construction, which the Brighton and Hove City Council planning committee is due to consider the following week.

An internal committee assessment revealed that granting permission would damage sustainable travel initiatives, worsen traffic flow problems and generate further road safety concerns.

The scheme would also broaden access to fast food near schools and leisure spaces used by teenagers while reducing commercial floor area and good-quality work positions.

Two businesses currently occupy the premises—Pavilion Batteries and the PR Industrial tool hire company—facing the eastern side of Hove Cemetery South.

The land, formerly hosting a KAP car dealership, sits between Majestic Wines and Star Property Group.

The council has recorded 336 formal protests against the plan, with contributions from Aldrington Primary School, Blatchington Mill School, Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Goldstone Primary School, Hove Park School, Hove Civic Society and the Regency Society.

Two Labour councillors for Hangleton and Knoll ward—Faiza Baghoth and John Hewitt—have also lodged objections, raising numerous concerns.

Cllr Baghoth said research shows that communities facing economic hardship have greater concentrations of fast food and unhealthy meals, damaging residents’ wellbeing while putting additional pressure on the already stretched National Health Service.

She added Hangleton and Knoll ranks as the third most deprived area in the vicinity, meaning this risk would be heightened with a burger chain essentially on their doorstep.

Cllr Hewitt said the drive-through’s entry and exit points open straight onto Old Shoreham Road, a busy dual carriageway.

He explained vehicles entering or exiting and travelling in both directions would cause traffic delays, with both the nearby Hove Fire Station and the Holmes Avenue junction being affected.

Labour councillor Jacob Allen, who served as the council’s cabinet member for adult social care, public health and service transformation when registering his objection, said the National Planning Policy Framework explicitly states that local planning authorities should refuse applications for hot-food takeaways and fast-food outlets within walking distance of schools and other areas where young people congregate.

The National Planning Policy Framework indicated town centre locations were more suitable but discouraged consent for fast-food restaurants where evidence demonstrated clustering that negatively affected local health, pollution levels or community behaviour.

Cllr Allen said this site falls outside acceptable planning policy parameters and therefore should not be considered appropriate.

The council’s public health, sustainable transport, food policy and planning policy teams have also opposed the application.

The authority has received 111 statements backing the proposal.

One supporter, whose personal details were removed by the council, said having this burger chain drive-through locally would be welcome.

They explained they currently drive to Shoreham each month to buy a McPlant before using the car wash, and having the facility nearby would be far more practical.

Another supporter, whose information was similarly redacted, said they support this development.

They noted the new positions created would provide a net benefit, in their view outweighing potential noise disturbance that remains unproven and could be easily managed.

The burger chain said it had tackled planning officers’ employment concerns in paperwork submitted to the council through its representative Planware the previous year.

The firm said the current site supports very few jobs, which—even when previously used by the car dealership—did not match the employment potential of the proposed development, which is significantly higher.

As noted in the commercial assessment, the existing buildings have generated no interest for industrial or office use and offer no prospects for future commercial activity due to their poor condition.

The company also noted there was no established definition of acceptable walking distance from a school to a fast-food outlet, though Public Health England had suggested 400 metres as a reasonable guide.

The nearest educational establishment is located more than 800 metres away when walking.

The council’s planning committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm on Wednesday, May 6. The session will be available for live streaming.