A NEW cafe in Abingdon Road can open as long as it does not turn into a takeaway following objections from residents.

Oxford City Council has allowed Ali Khan Din, the owner of 68 Abingdon Road, permission to change its use to a restaurant/café, despite residents’ fears about cooking smells, vermin and increased traffic.

It comes after a series of previous applications to turn the building into a hot food outlet were refused.

But in granting the application, the council has imposed tough conditions on the cafe that it said were designed to make sure it does not have an adverse effect on the community.

Oscar Van Nooijen, chairman of the city council’s West Area Planning Committee that approved the application on Wednesday last week, said: “We put these conditions in place to make sure this is a cafe, not a takeaway of any sort.

“This will be a cafe serving sandwiches with a nice muffin stand. If anything else transpires then the council would take enforcement action.”

Mr Van Nooijen said considering such planning applications carefully is part of the council’s strategy to ensure the right mix of businesses in Oxford’s local shopping areas.

He said: “There’s been a lot of change in the shops on the Abingdon Road and it’s really important that we do what we can to protect our local shopping amenities .”

Neiko Smith, who has recently taken over management of the White House pub nearby, said: “I would welcome a new cafe and the more businesses you have in town the better I believe .”

Residents along that stretch of Abingdon Road had raised concerns about parking issues and the presence of “vermin” due to cooking.

In a letter of opposition to the council, they stated: “This small residential community is already served by two cafes and two shops within a 100-metre radius and we feel that we do not require another cafe/restaurant in this area.”

Other worries included how a new cafe would change the character of the area and put pressure on parking on Kineton Road.

Among the conditions imposed by the council were the development should be completed on time, there should be no hot food takeaway items and no structural alterations to the property, and that hours and delivery times be restricted.