FOOD sellers have been given planning consent to operate on an industrial estate in Malvern Link.

Paul Grindrod and Sarah Searby have been selling hot snacks and drinks from their Little Porker food trailer for more than six months and applied for retrospective planning permission.

The trailer operates from a forecourt in front of the Malvern Sea Cadets building on Spring Lane.

Malvern Hills District Council's planning officers recommended refusal, saying the trailer would be an "incongruous element in the street scene" and would create a precedent.

The Enigma Park Business Association objected to the proposal, as did rival food seller Tony Lees of the Filling Station.

Several pages of signatures in support of Mr Grindrod's application were handed in at a meeting of the southern area planning committee on Monday (April 2). Local councillors also sided with the applicant.

Coun Pat Raven said: "I'm very sorry the officers put this down for refusal. I would remind members that we have had mobile catering vehicles in this area for quite a few years.

"I do not know of any problems this one has caused. If there's a demand for it and no problems caused, then I would approve it.

Coun Richard Manning said it was the sort of thing you often found on an industrial estate and was part of the culture.

Planning officer Rosalyn Field told the meeting that if Mr Grindrod was operating from the roadside, rather than from a plot of private land, he would not have needed planning permission.

Permission was granted for a 12-month trial period, with permitted opening hours of 7am to 3pm on weekdays and 7am to noon on Saturdays.