Plans to expand a 24-hour vaping and grocery store into shipping containers have been deemed “unacceptable”.

A retrospective planning application to extend the business next to Orange Street car park, off Leeds Road, Bradford, has been submitted to Bradford Council.

The business operated as a chai café until its transformation. Local democracy information service said, with a second shipping container added to the cafe’s front in April.

Highways officers said the council-owned car park was intended for use by local businesses and residents rather than “direct commercial use”.

In 2020, a shipping container was installed next to the parking lot and it was quickly transformed into a cafe called Chaii Walay.

Retrospective plans for the cafe were submitted, but twice refused by Bradford Council.

In late 2021, a government planning inspector overturned Bradford Council’s decision.

Chaii Walay has since closed its doors and became a store called Super Stop.

Discussing the latest application, officers said: “The loss of any public parking space would be unacceptable.

“Moreover, the traffic generated would be likely to hinder the movement of vehicles in the car park and could lead to conditions detrimental to road and pedestrian safety.

“This is why this retrospective development is unacceptable in highway terms.”