A takeaway could open metres away from St Albans City Hospital under proposals which have been rejected twice before.

An application has been submitted to St Albans district council to change 56A Waverley Road from a shop to a hot food takeaway.

A proposal to turn that address into a fish and chip shop was rejected in 2015 because, according to officers: “The proposed development would have a detrimental effect upon the amenity of nearby residents through a lack of adequate levels of car parking provision and through general disturbance, noise and litter.”

A matching proposal was rejected in 2016 for similar reasons and two further applications were withdrawn and invalid.

In 1992, the planning inspectorate turned down an appeal against the council’s rejection of an application to turn 56 Waverley Road into a takeaway.

This is because of its impact on residents’ amenity and fears people may park on the road outside.

The applicant, Kirupakaran Vickneswaran, has said the parking and litter issues had been sorted and “a lot of people would be delighted to have a food place there”.

There are eight off-street parking spaces at the site, previously Rose Sandwich Bar, which neighbours a convenience store and a pharmacy.

A statement attached to his application reads: “It is important to note that as a retail unit the property is unattractive and non-viable.

“The existence of the convenience store next door undermines any general store operation and the owner has tried to function as a sandwich bar, but with no success.

“The sandwich bar operated and functioned for one month only before closing as it was haemorrhaging a financial loss.”

The ground floor of the site has been vacant for over three years despite it being for let.

The opening hours of the takeaway would be 11am to 10pm on Friday; 11am to 10pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday.

Mr Vickneswaran is also applying to install an extractor flue pipe.

To see the application, visit stalbans.gov.uk/planning/Searchforplanningapplications and search for 5/2018/2977.