A chef's bid to turn his own garage into a takeaway has been rejected by council bosses.

Mr Haziri had been hoping to get permission to change the use of the small building next to his home in Markhams Chase, Basildon.

Documents submitted alongside his application to the council said he was planning the venture after being furloughed and then made redundant from his job in London.

He has previously spent 12 years as head chef for the Royal Society of Medicine.

The plans added: “With little or no positions available wishes to use his knowledge and skills with the only facilities available to him and create a good local takeaway food service, which would mainly serve the local community with some passing traffic well.

“In addition, he intends to focus on local community and offer a delivery service and a discounted service to local pensioners and people unable to access his service.”

The garage was said to be “ideal” for a conversion into a takeaway and has shutters already installed to make it secure.

Opening times would have been after 9am to avoid school traffic.

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But planning officers have rejected the proposals after objections were made by Essex Highways and Environmental Health.

Road bosses raised concerns about pedestrians queueing outside the takeaway and a lack of parking.

Outlining the reasons for turning down the application, the planning officers said in their report: “The proposed development would introduce a commercial use within an established residential area and close to existing schools, and would generate noise, disturbance, smell and odour and general increased levels of pedestrian and vehicular activity, detrimental to the residential amenity of adjoining occupiers, and harmful to the character of the area, and the health and wellbeing of local residents.”