A popular Ottery coffee shop’s plan to create a trio of one-bedroom flats won the support of civic leaders.

Ottery Town Council’s planning committee met on Monday to discuss the proposal submitted by Tickety-Boo. The business has applied to extend its play kingdom and also create flats across two floors of the building.

Mayor Glyn Dobson said: “The premises had been closed three or four years and the guy [owner Stuart Phillips] has gone in and spent a lot of money in there and it is successful - there’s no doubt about that at the moment. There are a lot of people using it. He wants to extend it and one-bedroom flats are probably something needed in town. I thing we should support it.”

As part of the application, the business would create an access from Hind Street.

Councillor Anne Edwards said: “Personally, I have no problem with it. It’s taken hold of a building that was a bit rickety and is really improving it. Any improvement is worth having.”

The commmittee supported the application, but said there was a need for a planning officer to ‘look closely’ at a proposed dormer window and the access onto Hind Street.

East Devon District Council will decide the fate of the application at a later date.