DISTRICT councillors have given the go-ahead for a shelter at the Prom to be converted to a kiosk selling food and drink.

The wooden shelter will be renovated and reconfigured as a permanent outlet in the park for Mrs Salisbury's Famous Tearoom, which currently has a van on the balcony area of the amphitheatre, located on the opposite side of the footpath from the shelter.

At a meeting of Maldon District Council's Central Area Planning Committee yesterday evening (Wednesday, 2 June), applicant Mark Salisbury said: "We wanted to repurpose an existing building that was due for demolition. This will stop anti-social behaviour there and we will be selling healthy food.

"There is no cost to Maldon District Council for this project.

"Probably the most important thing we're creating is four full-time jobs for local people."

Mr Salisbury added that negotiations have taken place with Parkrun and that the current seating area on the balcony will be closed when Parkrun events are taking place at the Prom.

A number of councillors spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Mark Heard said: "This building as it stands has no architectural merit at all. The issue of what other businesses are already there is not a planning concern - but what I do see at the park is many, many queues for refreshments."

Councillor Chrisy Morris added: "It is in a state of disrepair and smells of urine. It is not a nice place to be anymore. I see it in the same way as the Mill Beach pub was."

However, Councillor Kevin Lagan was among councillors who did not feel the planning application should be approved.

He said: "It has easy access for some disabled people and is a community asset. It's a unique piece of Maldon's heritage that our policies should protect."

Cllr Lagan said that he felt the move went against the spirit of the district's current Local Development Plan (LDP) in that it would mean "the loss of a community asset".

In the vote, seven councillors voted to approve the plans, four voted against and there were no abstentions.