PLANS have been submitted to open a new pizza restaurant in Wantage in an old bank building.

Papa John’s, an American pizza chain, has applied to Vale of White Horse District Council, the planning authority, to change the use of an old NatWest bank building in Newbury Street to a hot food takeaway unit.

It is proposed that the hot food takeaway and pizza delivery use would operate from 11am to 11pm Sundays to Thursdays and 11am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

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Plans also include a 19sqm customer waiting area will be provided within the store as well as a counter and seating provision.

The remainder of the layout will comprise a food preparation area including oven, assembly line preparation table and packaging area, a cold store, a dry store, WC, wash-up area and office provision

Externally, the shopfront will be retained and replaced with a new powder coated aluminium shopfront and door.

Bins for the store would be kept to the rear in the yard area only to be access from within the unit.

In terms of food deliveries, the company has said there will be three per week.

These will be made to the rear of the store and will consist of two food deliveries from the main distribution centre, using fixed-bed ten tonne delivery vehicle, and one by the drinks supply partner, utilising a 7.5 tonne non-articulated delivery vehicle.

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Food deliveries would be made on regular days to maintain stock levels in the store.

Delivery vehicles need only be present at the site for approximately 20 minutes and would deliver goods to the store from Newbury Street, at non-peak hours.

In a planning statement prepared by Pegasus Group on behalf of Papa John’s, it says: “The proposed change of use would bring a currently empty unit back into active use, maintain a shop frontage and contribute to the vitality and viability of the Town Centre.

“Neither the change of use nor minor external alterations would at the very least preserve the character and appearance of the Wantage Conservation area and would cause no harm to the significance of the nearby listed buildings through changes within their setting.

“No harm to any designated heritage assets would arise from the proposed development.

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“Further, the opening hours cover the day and evening, creating an active frontage throughout the day and creating additional interest in the locality.”

Vale of White Horse District Council aims to make a final decision on the planning application by October 26.

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This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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