An unemployed oil worker has won a battle to start selling burgers to hungry college students in Fraserburgh.
Martin Anderson was made redundant in October last year, and decided to start his own business to support his wife and two children.
The 44-year-old spent more than £7,000 of his own money to buy a catering van and refit it, but was left shattered when an objection was made against him parking up near North East Scotland College’s Fraserburgh campus in the town’s Argyll Road.
A sweet shop about half a mile away from where Mr Anderson wants to flip burgers claimed it would have an adverse impact on business.
But councillors yesterday paved the way for Mr Anderson to launch his business after unanimously agreeing that the objection should be thrown out.
Banff and Buchan area committee found the complaint, from The Sweetie Shoppie in St Modan’s Place, to be incompetent because it was not signed and did not provide an address of the property that would be affected.
Concerns were raised, however, about the nature of the fast food business.
Councillor Michael Roy said he had “reservations” about Mr Anderson’s venture because of its close proximity to the college.
“It flies in the face of government regulation on obesity,” he said.
“The health of our nation is deteriorating and we’ve got to do whatever we can to prevent it.”
Brian Topping was also concerned about where the catering truck would be parked – in a lay by – but was told by legal officers that no complaint had been lodged by police.
Mr Anderson will now be awarded a licence to trade within the next week.
He had earlier branded the complaint made against him as “nonsense”.
He said: “I would say more than 80% of the people from the college are from out of town and don’t even know where other shops are, so I’m surprised that there’s been an objection.
“Customers of a sweet shop are not my target. I’m not going to affect that business whatsoever.”