A GREGGS shop which had to beat objections from health chiefs to open has been given the green light for new signage.
The bakery giant put forward plans last year to move from its current shop on George Street, Pontypool to a larger, vacant unit next door last thought to have been used as a Superdrug.
But officials from Gwent’s Aneurin Bevan University Health Board tried to thwart the move on grounds the popular chain, that describes itself as “the UK’s leading bakery food-on-the-go retailer”, sells “un-healthy food”.
Health bosses said it was close to a school and raised on objection over the existing number of food and drink outlets in the town.
Those objections were discounted by Torfaen Borough Council’s planning department which said they didn’t warrant refusal of the application.
Planners have now granted advertising consent for two fascia signs and a hanging sign on the unit at 13 to 15 George Street.
The signs are described as “consistent” with others along the pedestrianised shopping street and the hanging sign as “ample in size” with a steel bracket that would be “sensitive to the siting within the wider Pontypool Conservation Area”.
Greggs opened its 2,500th UK outlet earlier this year and it has three shops in the Pontypool area among 40 across Gwent which is served by the Aneurin Bevan board.
When the change of use planning application was considered Greggs said 40 per cent of the food it sold was a “healthier option” which is above its target of 30 per cent and a larger store could create more jobs, stating a shop of its size could support one full-time and 13 part-time posts.