Harrogate councillor set to turn former fish and chip shop into family home

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Nidd Valley Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Watson ran Valley Fisheries in Summerbridge for 40 years before it closed its doors five years ago.

He was seeking permission to turn it into a house when the authority’s planning committee met on Tuesday (28th).

It was the second time Cllr Watson had tried to get the scheme off the ground.

The plan was initially submitted to the council last year but was withdrawn due to concerns from planners that the house that would replace the chip ship was too small.

At the time 90 residents also signed a petition calling on the local chippy to be saved despite it having closed its doors more than half a decade ago.

The new plan was also met with mass objections, though the number of signatures on the petition fell to 69, with seven letters of objection also sent to the council ahead of the decision being made.

An extension is to be added to the building to address previous concerns that the replacement home would be too small.

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The planning committee unanimously approved the plans.

Carl Gavaghan , Local Democracy Reporting Service