FAST food chain KFC has been given the green light to open a new restaurant in Bournemouth town centre.
Council officers have agreed to give the fried chicken chain permission to open a new shop in Lansdowne Crescent.
It follows the closure of its branch at Royal London House, also in Lansdowne, in July last year.
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KFC will now look to start refurbishing three units in Lansdowne Crescent, formerly occupied by Mail Boxes Etc, Eaters Pizza and the Immaculate Chaos tattoo shop.
Residents and businesses had previously lodged 20 objections to the proposal.
Some of them were from existing businesses, who reported they were contacted by their landlord of more than 14 years asking to leave the building in favour of KFC.
Others said the application was “ill-judged” and disadvantaged those who used Mail Boxes Etc for their own business.
Despite this, BCP Council believes a new FKC in Lansdowne is “considered an appropriate location for a hot food takeaway”.
The venue is allowed to open from 10.30am to 11pm, employing 12 full-time staff and 13 part-time staff.
"Given the busy town centre location on a main road, in close proximity to nightlife venues, the proposed opening hours are considered acceptable," the BCP case officer report said.
It is also a condition that the restaurant does not extend these hours as part of its conditions to have planning permission granted.
Franchise applicants Caskade Caterers Limited had expressed interest in moving its Lansdowne restaurant last year with a smaller application for two units, but this was changed to three earlier this year.
KFC has been approached for a comment.
KFC is looking to open a further 500 sites across the country over the next 15 years on top of its portfolio of more than 1,000 locations.
The chain has branches in nearby Westover Road and the Triangle, along with ones in Castlepoint shopping centre, Tower Park in Poole and along Wimborne Road in Winton.
Last month, KFC closed its Ferndown restaurant in Ringwood Road.
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