Planning consultees are divided over whether a new cafe and food retail space in Okehampton’s Mole Avon Country Stores would increase traffic problems.

Mole Avon has submitted an application to vary an existing condition to allow it to sell food for human consumption. It wishes to open a café and food retail area of no more than 250sqm and to vary condition 6 of the original permission which restricted the sale of food except confectionery in order to protect the viability and vitality of Okehampton town centre.

No new floorspace is proposed. The cafe and food retail section would occupy less than one-sixth of the store’s 1,600sqm internal floor area.

However, the applicant argues that the condition should now be varied as it is an established business in an accessible area near existing and planned employment sites and would complement rather than compete with the town centre businesses.

The applicant says it intends to stock local food and rural produce, supporting nearby farmers and widening the store’s existing offer.

In its application it said: “It promotes economic activity, supports rural enterprise, improves consumer choice, and enhances the long-term viability of a well-established rural retail business.”

There is disagreement over whether a new café would negatively impact traffic in the area. Devon Highways has recommended refusal, raising concerns that the new café would increase traffic along an already busy stretch of road, which could increase congestion and the risk of accidents. It also stated that the current parking arrangements fall below the Joint Local Plan standards and could cause overspill parking.

The highways authority said it could not support the plans without a fuller assessment of their transport impact and a clear strategy explaining how any additional demand would be managed.

However, the West Devon Strategic Planning Team has made no objection, stating: “It is considered unlikely that there would be a significant increase over and above that which the site already generates since the majority of café users are likely to be existing clients of the store.”

It also noted that a neighbouring farm shop and separate garden centre already sell food and operate eat-in cafés.

Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council has supported the application without submitting reasons.

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A final decision from West Devon Borough Council is still pending.