RESIDENTS have united against moves to open a late-night pizza takeaway in their suburban York street.

City officials are considering a planning application to convert the former newsagent and grocer store at 52 Moor Lane, Dringhouses, but locals have opposed the idea.

The shop closed 13 months ago, unable to compete with the nearby Tesco, and a local developer Nigel Rennie wants to turn it into a pizza outlet.

He said the nearest such shop was more than a mile and a half away and said he planned to operate a “top-class” takeaway with first-rate service and the highest hygiene service.

But more than a dozen residents have objected to the application, as have local councillor Tom Holvey, the Friends of Chapman's Pond conservation group, and the local planning panel.

The Friends group said: “We are a small group of volunteers who have difficulty in keeping the area free of rubbish and this type of shop would worsen our problem.”

They also said the shop could lead to rowdy behaviour.

Coun Holvey said: “I have spoken with local residents and they are rightly concerned about the possible increase in noise levels from this application and also the increase in litter that comes with takeaways which, when combined with the location being next to a well used local amenity such as Chapman's Pond, would be wholly inappropriate.”

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Planning Panel said the premises had been a shop since 1960 without any problems, but said a takeaway would lead to “unacceptable” noise and smell.

In documents submitted with his application, Mr Rennie said he would consider installing CCTV and put up signs to try to minimise disorder, and said he did not think litter would be an issue as most people would eat their food on the way home.