Plans for a pizza and pasta food truck to operate near a KFC restaurant in Gloucester have been approved despite initial concerns about traffic, litter, and parking issues.
The application by Ciprian Iusan and Iuliana Laurentiu to trade from Goodridge Avenue in Quedgeley was reviewed and granted permission by Gloucester City Council last week.
Several objections were raised during the council meeting from local residents, highlighting that there are already around ten food outlets nearby. One objector expressed concern about the lack of toilet facilities, water, and adequate drainage at the proposed site, emphasising that the area is primarily residential. They also noted ongoing problems with rubbish linked to the nearby KFC and the difficulties caused by heavy lorry traffic in the vicinity, suggesting that the location may not be suitable for additional street trading.
Responding to these concerns, Mr Laurentiu, who has lived in Gloucester for ten years, explained that the food truck would be positioned 15 metres away from the public highway on an elevated area with its own access, which is not a public road. He assured that the truck would not obstruct pedestrians or the public in any way.
He described the food truck as compact, measuring 2.5 metres tall, 2.16 metres wide, and seven metres long, situated approximately 50 metres from the KFC entrance.
Mr Laurentiu outlined operational plans to trade from 4pm to 9pm on weekdays and from 4pm to 10pm on Fridays to Sundays. However, it was noted during the meeting that weekend trading is unlikely this year, as the business is already fully booked for weekend events. Currently, operations are limited to Monday to Thursday.
The food truck is equipped with two 200-litre tanks beneath the food preparation area, and customers are expected to collect their food and leave promptly.
Following consideration, the council’s sub-committee granted the trading licence subject to the specified operating hours, allowing trading from 4pm to 9pm Monday to Thursday and 4pm to 10pm on Fridays to Sundays.