Plans to convert an Indian restaurant in a Bucks village into two houses have been thrown out after it was deemed it would result in the loss of a community facility.

The owner of Miltons Indian Restaurant, in Chalfont St Giles, wanted to change the use of the Deanway premises and convert it into two homes.

The online planning statement read: “Originally, the said building was a residential dwelling and, in 2004, permission was granted to my client to change the use of the restaurant and convert it into one residential dwelling.

“For some personal/health reasons, he couldn’t carry on with the conversion.”

Owner Shafiq Shahjahan wanted to close the restaurant and change it into two 2-bedroom houses.

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He wanted to replace the large restaurant entrance and shop window with domestic front doors, replace the store entrance with a garage door, open a boarded-up window and replace it with a second domestic front door, and fitting a matching window.

The planning statement added: “Outside of the defined local shopping centre, there should not be objection to the loss of the Indian restaurant.

“The proposed use of the building as a dwellinghouse would be in keeping with the predominantly residential character of the locality.

“The existing restaurant is not considered to be a community facility.”

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But planning officers at Buckinghamshire Council felt differently, saying in their refusal letter: “The proposal would result in the loss of an existing restaurant, which, in the absence of any justification to the contrary, is considered to be a community facility.

“No replacement community facility is proposed, and no marketing has been undertaken to show that there is no demand for an alternative community facility or economic use on this site.

“As such the proposal would harm the social and economic infrastructure of the village.”