Plans approved for Langport food van in Cocklemoor car park

Jenna D’Ovidio has been providing Langport residents and visitors with coffee, snacks, bacon baps and burgers from Little van Rouge 56 within the Cocklemoor car park since May 2021.

She applied for permission to permanently trade from within the car park, allowing her to provide a “unique and quirky, grab-and-go service” around residents’ and other businesses’ needs.

South Somerset District Council has now given the plans the green light – despite concerns that it may damage the appeal of the high street.

Ms D’Ovidio told the council’s area north committee on Wednesday afternoon (January 26) that the planning permission would give her business much-needed flexibility and allow her to extend her operating hours.

She said: “This gives me the flexibility to support the local community with accessible times, especially when other businesses are closed – for instance, on a Sunday.

“It does not mean that I’m going to excessively use the hours of 7am to 7pm seven days a week – I have children and a family at home. I will aim to do as many weekends as possible.

“A lot of the objections have classed me as an outside trader and not a local trader – when in fact I live in Langport myself and am Somerset born and bred.”

The van will trade from a designated parking space at the western end of the car park, near the footpath leading onto Cocklemoor and around to the Bow Bridge at the town’s western edge.

Langport Town Council objected to the plans on the basis that it would hurt other businesses in the town centre – an accusation refused by local resident Gina Beauchamp.

She said: “The van does bring visitors to the town – not all of whom want to sit down in a cafe, especially these days with covid.

“The van provides a warm, welcome drink and snack for walkers along the river, especially dog walkers.

“She uses meat, veg and cheese from the butchers and she has promoted other businesses online on her Facebook page.

“I was surprised to see how many of the objections come from people who live in London, Cornwall, Norfolk, Kent and Shropshire.”

At the time of the meeting, there had been 164 letters in support of the plans from members of the public, compared to 34 objections.

Councillor Clare Paul – whose Curry Rivel, Huish and Langport ward includes the site – said: “We all know that car park gets absolutely rammed.

“When this van was expected [to be there] and was not there, I believe that there has been an altercation which was reported to the police because someone tried to park in that parking space.

“In a former life, I did indeed have a café in Langport, and I’m fully behind food and drink concessions in the town.”

Councillor Mike Stanton added: “There have been various food outlets of this kind around for 20 years or more. There’s a lot of local support – it’s an enterprising local person providing a service.

“The more often she can be there, the better – especially on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Councillor Gerard Tucker – whose represents the neighbouring Turn Hill ward – warned approving the plans would set a precedent which would ultimately damage the town centre.

He said: “The town is really riding high at the moment. The access to the river has been made good, and there’s very seldom a time you don’t go to Langport and don’t see a lot of people from quite a distance away coming in and spending their money.

“That has to be encouraged – however, I do not relish the idea of this van being where it is.

“The big thing that’s against it for me is the precedent. This van’s there now – what happens when a guy comes along and wants to set up canoe hire or something completely different?

“The location for this should be on the High Street, Bow Street or similar – not on that corner of the car park.”

Despite Mr Tucker’s concerns, the committee voted to approve the plans by a margin of four votes to two.