A RESTAURANT in Leigh Old Town has been given the go-ahead to almost double the size of its outdoor seating.

The No1 Cockleshed restaurant in Old Leigh has been give permission to extend its terrace despite a number of concerns being raised by councillors.

The work will include the removal of a storage container and the creation of a low-level store with an extended terrace over it surrounded by a balustrade.

READ MORE >> Look inside: New £100 million c2c trains are officially unveiled ahead of roll out

Peter Wexham, Lib Dem councillor for Leigh ward, called in the application which was debated by Southend’s development control committee on Wednesday, citing the close proximity of the restaurant to the cockle industry operation there.

He said: “The restaurant is trying to expand to double the size of the tables and chairs that they’ve got.

“The south of the sheds, including this bit of ground, is designated under our local plan as light industrial. That light industry is now fairly heavy industrial.

“There is a conflict of interest here by putting people sitting eating and drinking right alongside a place where there are diggers and bulldozers and all sorts of things moving about.

“The council has now got levelling up funding to do up the back of the sheds and put a quayside in. The quayside is going in mainly to stop so many lorries going through the Old Town. You’ve fuel tankers going in there fuelling up the boats. You’ve got lorries going down there taking cockles away and deliveries and everything else is all on the back of this shed.

“It’s not the place to have it.”

Richard Longstaff, Green Party councillor for Leigh ward, said: “It is a working port, and when you look at the context of the photo you can see the industrial equipment in close proximity to where this terrace is proposed.

“I just don’t think there has been any consideration taken for the people on that terrace and what may confront them when there is industrial machinery working within that proximity.”

Ron Woodley, Residents First councillor for Thorpe ward, said: “I think we need to remember if people sitting out there get a taste of the seaweed and the sand they won’t go back. It’s buyer beware.

“If it turns out to be a red herring that’s down to the restaurant but if it proves a success and the fears happen then they wont go back.”

Councillors voted to approve the application by ten votes to five.