Conversion of George pub into Yalding Supermarket and Mr Dan’s Takeaway criticised for not sticking to planning permission

A shopkeeper who converted a pub into a convenience store and takeaway has come under fire from villagers who accuse him of failing to deliver on his promises.

Residents understood the building was to be turned into a farm shop and restaurant selling locally sourced ingredients.

But instead, a planning committee heard, they’ve ended up with a “bog-standard convenience store” and fish ‘n’ chip takeaway.

Dan Mahendran was granted permission to convert the ground floor of The George in Yalding, near Maidstone, into a farm shop and restaurant in March 2023.

At the time, Yalding Parish Council supported the application because they believed the provision of a restaurant would retain some element of a social meeting place which the village had lacked since the closure of the Benover Road pub two years earlier.

But after a six-month refit, the store that opened in April, Yalding Supermarket, was in a different part of the building than that specified in the approved plans, was larger, had a smaller space for the restaurant and was selling largely general convenience store produce rather than local farmers’ produce.

The idea of a restaurant had morphed into a fish and chip shop called Mr Dan’s Takeaway.

Mr Mahendran sought to legitimise the changes by submitting an application to Maidstone council for “minor material amendments” to his original grant of planning permission.

But when the matter went before the borough’s planning committee last week, it was clear many thought the changes were anything but minor.

Duncan Ellsworth, who was “speaking on behalf of many residents”, told the committee: “The original plans left the basic layout of the ground floor.

“The restaurant area was to the right which made perfect sense as it gave access to what was then a wonderful garden.

“Later we were shocked to find out that the owner had removed every single feature of the downstairs and left an empty box to maximise retail space.

“The stairs were gone. There was no farm shop and no restaurant.

“When challenged, the applicant has put in a retrospective plan to allow him to ignore the original one completely.

“The revised plans bear no relation to the original ones. The area proposed for the cafe is too small and just a token offering.

“No mention at all has been made of the pub garden which used to be a wonderful community asset right by the river.”

He added that the effect of The George becoming a convenience store negatively impacted the very long-standing village shop next door, Orchard View Stores.

He said: “These are not minor changes.

“There was clearly never any intention to follow the original plans and therefore it is highly unlikely there will be any intention to follow these.

“There is no integrity here nor any care for integration in the community.”

The chairman of Yalding Parish Council, Geraldine Brown, said the council was now against the plan. She said the first proposal had been for a restaurant with local produce on the menu and the facility to sell local produce in the building.

The council has sought conditions on the permission to ensure the use and appearance of the building were safeguarded into the future. Now, she said, the applicant sought to have those conditions lifted.

“The applicant has demonstrably ignored the planning conditions that were attached to the permission. and has made significant alterations to the structure of the building and its external appearance.”

Cllr Brown also complained that “the premises are filthy with rubbish and debris left throughout the garden and car park.”

“The applicant has shown serious disregard for the building’s rural location and setting within a conservation area,” she said.

But speaking for Mr Mahendran, agent Hannah Rusbridge said that the changes he was seeking would not even usually require planning permission if it were not for the imposed conditions.

She said the changes maintained “a similar split” between the retail and cafe uses.

She added: “While there have been objections, there has also been significant support for the facilities Mr Mahendran has provided.”

“These aren’t minor tweaks. They look like completely different plans…”

In total seven people had written in to back the changes, along with a petition signed by 71 people.

On the other hand, there were eight individual letters of objection to the amended application along with a petition signed by 234 people.

Mrs Rusbridge explained: “When the premises originally opened there was a greater array of locally sourced produce. However, the range of products for sale has changed to reflect local demand.”

She said: “The proposals are entirely in accord with the adopted Local Plan policies.”

Cllr Maureen Cleator (Lab) replied: “These aren’t minor tweaks. They look like completely different plans.

“It has become a bog-standard convenience store.

“I like people to have some integrity and honesty when they put in a planning application. If you wanted that, put in for that. Don’t put in for something different and then retrospectively change it.

“If I were living in Yalding, I’d be very, very angry. They were promised one thing and they got another.”

Cllr Claudine Russell (Con), a ward member for Yalding, added: “What the village was sold and planned for is absolutely not what was built.

“I don’t think there was any intention to really run the cafe.

“We are within the conservation area of Yalding and this is a non-designated heritage asset”.

The planning committee chairman, Cllr Paul Wilby (Lib Dem), and planning officers decided that on the basis of the evidence heard, Mr Mahendran should have applied for retrospective planning permission for the changes, as opposed to lodging one for minor material amendments.

A decision was deferred for further details about what had been done, including information about an exterior advertising sign that been put up without permission.

Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.

Details can be viewed on the Maidstone council website under application number: 24/502003.

Mr Mahendran has also submitted another planning application, seeking permission to convert the upper floors of the old pub into a house of multiple occupation (HMO), capable of housing 10 people.

The application number for that one is 24/503344.

Mr Mahendran has not responded to a request for comment.