CAMPAIGNERS who fought plans to open a 10th takeaway in their road have won a 'victory for their village'.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has rejected a planning application to turn a former flower shop in Smallthorne into an Indian takeaway.

Ford Green Road already has nine takeaway restaurants in one half-mile stretch.

Residents say that leaves their community barren and litter-strewn during the day.

And Paul Reed, chairman of Smallthorne Village Residents' Association, said villagers now hope they will not have to campaign again.

He said: "This is a victory for the village and hopefully it will deter others from applying.

"More takeaways are not wanted. Having a few is all right, but the area is already saturated with them.

"During the day, when the shutters are closed, it leaves the village looking like a ghost town.

"We also have problems with car parking and anti-social behaviour. Takeaways don't help that, because people arrive in cars to pick food up and leave litter too."

Sixty letters opposing the application were received by the council.

And retired resident Jennifer Key, pictured, from nearby Lord Street, said that is a sign of how strongly the villagers feel.

She added: "The community faced being destroyed, but everybody in the area who could possibly have helped us has done so.

"We are buzzing. People have been stopping me in the street as I do my shopping to tell me how pleased they are."

Applicant Mohammed Siddiquee asked for permission to open the restaurant from 5pm until midnight every day. In his application he said he would be filling a gap in the market, because none of the other takeaways offer Indian food.

But Viv Simpson, owner of Viv's Cake Shop on Ford Green Road, said the existing restaurants are enough.

She added: "I can smell kebabs from 5 o'clock at night and by the morning there's always loads of litter and chips up my window.

"We've got enough takeaways already and the parking would have been a problem as well. We need daytime businesses, the nighttimes are rowdy enough."

The empty shop, previously a travel agency and a florist, has been vacant for around a year. But residents told the city council they would rather it was empty than face another takeaway.

Councillor David Conway, who supported their campaign, said: "I'm chuffed to death, absolutely over the moon and the residents must be too.

"It's a victory for the people, now hopefully it will have a knock-on effect and put other people off applying to put a takeaway there.

Applicant Mohammed Siddiquee, aged 46, from Foden Avenue, Alsager, said: "I am very unhappy and upset about what has happened.

"I have spent nearly £1,000 on architect plans and fees for this premises. I will have to look for somewhere else."

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