Council okays shop's plans

A Masterton dairy owner who faced opposition after he planned to build an Indian speciality grocery store has been granted consent by Masterton District Council.

Raj Patel, the owner of the Westend Superstore on the corner of Cornwall and Pownall Streets, wants to expand the shop floor by 80 square metres as well as extra storage areas to open the new store.

The hearings committee heard submissions about the proposed expansion last week, and decided to grant Mr Patel resource consent on Thursday.

Issues raised by the neighbours included increased traffic in the area, the sale of liquor, and a decrease in property value.

Mr Patel had wanted to build a second storey over the shop as part of the original application.

"I heard the concerns of the neighbours and I revised the design to cater for their needs as best as possible," he said.

The main conditions of the consent, which is valid for five years, include not being able to sell liquor and a submission of a landscaping plan for approval within six months.

Mr Patel said he was pleased with the decision and excited to bring the Indian speciality grocery store to light.

He was inspired to open the store after noticing how many people travelled to Wellington to buy some of the items - such as grocery items, biscuits and fresh vegetables.

"It's not just Indians that are catered to - Kiwis like Indian food too."

Although Mr Patel has been granted resource consent, he still has to apply for building consent before the process can start.

"We want to continue working with the community and thank everyone for their support."