Plans for Creams Cafe window at Tesco in Portsmouth are turned down by city council planners

As part of its new partnership Creams Café, Tesco had hoped to win support for the proposal which would have given access to food delivery workers from outside its former in-store café, near the entrance of the Idsworth House car park.

But council planners, who last year approved installation of new signs for the business, said it was too close to homes, warning the scheme would have had a ‘detrimental impact’ on the lives of people living in the area.

The planning application was submitted in September last year. At the same time, the two businesses announced their new partnership which will see Creams, which sells gelato and other desserts, operate inside branches of the supermarket giant.

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The first of these opened in Streatham, south London last year. The company’s managing director Othman Shoutkat described the partnership as a ‘significant moment’ as part of its expansion plans.

Proposals submitted to the council show the two companies are planning to reuse the former Tesco café in what would be Creams’ first outlet in Portsmouth.

The planning application, submitted by Tesco, sought approval for the delivery window which would have allowed it to offer an external takeaway service.

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Council regulatory services officers said the café would have opening hours in line with the supermarket and would have given easier access to food delivery workers. No concerns were raised by highways officers consulted on the plans.

However, council planners said a delivery service operating from the side of the building would cause issues for people living nearby.

‘The proposals are considered to have a detrimental impact on the residential properties situated approximately 10 metres adjacent from the proposed delivery window. By virtue of the increase in noise and disturbance associated with the movement and parking of delivery vehicles and in the absence of a defined parking bay,’ their report published on Tuesday (April 25) refusing permission said.

Creams was founded in 2008 and claims to have ‘kick-started the UK dessert parlour revolution’. The nearest branch to Portsmouth is in Eastleigh.