Plans for a food truck to move onto a Millennium Green have been refused by Bradford planners who say it goes against the council’s take away policy.

Last year a planning application to site a food truck at Oxenhope Millennium Green on Station Road was submitted to the council by Rachel Coe.

It said: “The introduction of a catering trailer will deliver a clear community facility, enhancing the social and economic vitality of Oxenhope, increasing local activity and visitor engagement with the Millennium Green.

“The applicants intend this to be a short-term measure to start their business. The long-term goal is to find premises within the village and have a cafe.”

But now the proposals have been blocked by planning officers – partly due to a district wide ban on hot food take aways opening near parks and schools.

A total of 25 people had written to the council to object to the plans, but there had also been seven letters of support.

One objector said: “This is a quiet natural space, used by wildlife. A food truck is inappropriate.”

One of the support letters said: “The proposal will benefit visitors to the area and existing residents to eat and have a meeting place.”

Planners said the proposals went against a planning policy that blocks take aways from opening within 400m of a school, play area, park or other facility frequented by children.

A report by officers said: “The Bradford district has one of the highest rates of early cardiovascular mortality in England and the National Child Measurement Programme has identified that 21.6 per cent of children in reception class (aged 4- 5) and 35.4 per cent in year 6 (aged 10-11) are overweight or obese.”

It went on to say the planning policy was introduced to “manage the proliferation of fast food outlets, and as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence restricting the numbers of takeaways within proximity to certain areas such as schools.

“The application site is a park itself and is less than 400m from Oxenhope CE Primary School, Oxenhope Community Centre and Oxenhope Cricket Club. As such the proposal fails to meet the requirements of the adopted planning document and is unacceptable.”

Planners added: “There is inadequate information on the detailed siting and existing physical features, such as park benches and picnic tables and existing trees and planting in close proximity to and on the site itself.

“There is also a lack of information regarding servicing and waste provision relating to the proposed use.”