A DECISION on whether a fast food chain can build a controversial restaurant off a busy main road will be announced later this year.
KFC applied to open a new drive-through outlet on the site of the old Graziers Arms pub in Weddington Road but borough council planners failed to process the application in time.
The worldwide company has now officially lodged an appeal and the Planning Inspectorate at Bristol will have the final say on whether the plan is given the green light.
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council's Planning Department has until Wednesday, July 4 to prepare a case and send it to the government inspector.
It will outline the objections which they want to put forward in relation to the application.
The Planning Inspectorate can then take as long as is necessary to look at any written representations which have been filed before deciding the fate of the application.
If KFC receives the go ahead the restaurant will cover 242 square metres of ground, will have 21 car park spaces and be open to customers seven days a week from 7am until 11pm.
Although the eight week deadline for the application to be dealt with by the planning department at the Town Hall ran out, local residents still had the chance to voice any objections at a committee meeting.
In total 58 reasons for why the restaurant should not be allowed to go ahead were put forward with increased traffic problems, pollution, anti social behaviour and litter among the main concerns.
Members of the committee also unanimously rejected the plan.
A spokesperson for the borough's planning department said: "The Planning Inspectorate will be dealing with written representations and the department has until July 4 to send a statement outlining our case in relation to the application.
"The Inspectorate can take however long they want to come to a decision."
