PLANS to transform an eyesore A64 garage into a gleaming fish restaurant and take-away have been rubber-stamped by York planning chiefs.

The application to build the 100-seat restaurant, on the site of the Hazel Bush Filling Station, close to Sand Hutton on the A64, has now been referred to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Margaret Beckett.

But that referral has been described as "a formality" and is not expected to affect the application's success.

Councillor Ken King, vice-chairman of City of York Council's planning and transport (north-east area) sub-committee, said: "There is no problem with it, it has had to be referred for technical reasons. It is not a matter for concern."

Applicants John and Sarah Thompson, of Hovingham, near Malton, said today: "We are really pleased. It has been a long hard slog, but this makes it all worth it."

The main part of the application had already been approved by the committee, but it came back yesterday so a number of proposed conditions could be discussed.

All were approved, apart from one that restricted site entry times for construction vehicles and another that required details of the junction between the A64 and the restaurant to be approved in writing by the council.

Coun King said: "We felt both of those conditions were restrictive. Officers and residents had been concerned about an increase in traffic, but it could reopen tomorrow as a filling station and much more traffic would be generated.

"The application is good news for York. The site has been empty for a number of years and it is an eyesore on one of the main routes into the city, it has been giving a bad image. It will also bring some employment, which is always good news, and it is the type of work some people specifically look for."

Mr Thompson, who previously ran fish-and-chip shops at Stamford Bridge and Wetwang, said: "The amount of red tape we have had to cope with has been unbelievable, but now we are almost there. We hope there will be JCBs on the site within a fortnight.

"We are both delighted and we would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us in any way over the last 15 months or so."

Updated: 11:20 Wednesday, November 06, 2002