AN APPLICATION for a curry house in Catrine was refused amid heated exchanges at a council meeting last week.

Angry residents blasted the applicant - Mr S Kaur who wanted permission to open up an Indian takeaway in the village's Townhead.

Residents raised a number of concerns over the plans. There were questions marks over the positioning of a vents. Residents of neighbouring properties were up in arms over suggestions that the vent would pumps the smell of food into their properties.

There were also concerns over traffic and the busy junction for the proposed restaurant.

Representing the applicant, a Mr Singh presented his case before East Ayrshire Council's planning committee and got in to an exchange by committee chairman, Councillor Jim Roberts.

Mr Singh began addressing councillors and cited papers and reports published by Glasgow City Council over 10 years ago. It was at that point Ballochmyle Councillor, Cllr Roberts said: "Mr Singh, I'm sorry to interrupt you but if this is 10 years ago, is this relevant to this particular application?"

Mr Singh snapped back: "If you will listen to me then you will find out something. If you don't want to allow me to say I can keep quiet."

Cllr Roberts replied: "Mr Singh, let's try and calm down a wee bit and stick the relevancy of the application please."

Mr Singh then turned his sights on objectors to the plans, saying: "There's no objection from the roads department, there's no objection from environmental health. I don't know what these people are talking about."

It was at this point that council officers decided to briefly adjourn the hearing to decide whether or not to proceed with the application.

Mr Singh was taken in to a side room with council officials and later emerged to continue with the application.

Among the objectors was local resident, Robert Balderstone, who said: "I live at Riverside Villas, which from my back garden to the proposed premises is about 40 meters or so and there's a prevailing wind coming from that end, where the takeaway would be, over my property. I feel I would be getting cooking smells possibly entering my house and I'll be honest, I don't like the smell of curry. I don't fancy that being in my house.

"Also, if the proprietors are not careful enough maintaining their cooking equipment we may also have fumes.

"We have an ongoing problem at Riverside Villas with passers by throwing rubbish in to the street, cans, polystyrene, cans and paper. While the new proprietor wouldn't be the cause of that, it may well add to that."

Also objecting, owner of the neighbouring property, Mr Sandy Kerr added: "Nobody really knows where the flue is going to go. It either goes in to Mrs Jacksons or it comes into mines.

"The other main concern to me is, I live at number 1 Riverside Villas so every Sunday I have to clear the hedge of litter, cans bottles. Now I'm talking right on the river. The biggest attraction to a river is rats."

The EAC Planning Committee then decided to refuse the permission to turn the former council office in to a takeaway, claiming that the property was not suitable.