WINCHESTER residents are building opposition against River Cottage’s plans for a restaurant in the city.

The company, run by celebrity chef and food campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, wants to turn Abbey Mill into a 180-seat eatery.

But residents in Colebrook Street are angry over a lack of communication from the business and have noise and traffic concerns. They came out in force last Saturday (June 8) to protest.

The city council has put in a planning application to change the building’s use from office to restaurant, but 24 residents have objected.

Guy Ashton, of Colebrook Street, said: “With the noise and impact of delivery lorries and waste collection it will just be overwhelming. And nobody has talked to us about it.

“If River Cottage and the council had talked to us, it might have been we all got comfortable with the idea and been supporters. But instead they have created a whole street opposed to what they want to do and that’s a failure on their part.”

Neighbour, Gareth Davies, 59, added: “The council has not handled this process well. It seems to be steamrolling this through and yet it goes against the council’s own rules — its local plan. They really need to have a rethink, especially when there are other empty properties in more appropriate areas of the city.

“As like any decent landlord, they should be prepared to maintain the building to the standard that it could be rented as an office.”

Mr Davies, a landlord himself, added that residents would consider judicial review if a planning committee approved the application.

The traffic plans, which were published on June 3, state there will be approximately 38 deliveries per week, recommended between 8am-6pm. An additional five waste collection trips per week are also outlined.

Opening hours are listed for 8am to midnight and residents are concerned staff and customers could disrupt families late at night.

As reported in last week’s Chronicle, council leader, Keith Wood, is keen for the restaurant to open to increase rental income, tourism and business for local suppliers.

He issued a portfolio holder decision notice to approve a revised budget for the refurbishment of Abbey Mill, formerly used by the city council engineers department, including a rent increase and funds for advance works.

The restaurant would have 130 indoor seats with 50 outside.

It would create 27 full-time jobs and 18 part-time. Financial details are all considered confidential and have not been published.

River Cottage was unavailable for comment.