A PLANNING application which would have permitted siting of a mobile fish and chip van in a moorland village in West Devon was due to be thrown out by Dartmoor National Park Authority as the Times went to press this week. The application for change of use of land at St Paul?s Church car park in Yelverton had been submitted by Maristow Estates, which owns most of the open land in the village. A fish and chip van has been operating from the car park for some time, but the estate was advised by the DNPA that it required planning consent in order to continue trading. The parish council backed some residents who had raised a petition objecting to the scheme ? they feared an increase in litter, noise, unruly behaviour and a general deterioration of the area. Planning officer Jo Burgess said provided no new material considerations had been received by the end of the consultation period on Tuesday night, the planning committee had resolved to reject the application. The recommendation is based on grounds that a mobile food van would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the area and would affect the amenities enjoyed by neighbours. It was also outside the shopping area at Yelverton and therefore contradicted the park authority?s planning policy. Maristow estate manager Joe Hess said the estate was ?very disappointed? at the planning authority?s reaction to the application. Mr Hess said: ?I think what came across at the meeting was that it seemed to be a decision based on unfounded evidence and misunderstanding.? Mr Hess said he had received several phone calls expressing support for the fish and chip van since an article concerning the planning application appeared in last week?s Times. He said the estate has yet to decide whether it will appeal, should the decision made by the committee on Friday still stand by the end of the consultation period. ?I think we will sit back and take a look at overall land usage at Yelverton and make some decisions from there,? said Mr Hess. ?We don?t feel that the proposal put forward was unreasonable. There was clearly a demand for the proposed use and as a result, I think undoubtedly this will result in a strategic review by Maristow of its land holdings in the area.?