Is it only 'local' people who can write in objection or are 'non-locals' allowed to contribute if they support your opinion Cheeky?

I live close by but probably not close enough by your standards, I've been following the thread and trying to understand the situation as a less frequent user of the parade and someone with some experience and interest in T&C planning.

There have been some very good, material planning objections related to the change of use but there are also some aspects of the campaign & objections that will have little or no bearing on the decision. As someone said, the petition is of little interest to the local planning authority. It might be good as a means of publicity for the campaign and it *might* convince Dominoes/franchise holder there is a significant local opinion on a certain matter but then again they might not think a couple of hundred names in a catchment area of multiple thousands is worth worrying about.

You need to focus the campaign on key points of planning interest, you need to research national and local criteria used to assess change of use planning applications and not waste energy or divert focus onto things that have little or no relevance to the decision.

There appear to be a fairly equal number of A3 and A5 units on the parade (and the extended local area - belated thanks to Tersie for doing most of the work in cataloguing the shops) so my feeling is that the LPA wouldn't have enough grounds to refuse based primarily on the change of use between what are comparatively similar uses (and especially given the economic climate and ease with which it could be returned to A3 use). Plan for your worst case scenario (i.e. that the change is approved) and ensure you press for potential adverse affects of the business and a concerns about the aesthetics of the conversion to be addressed in the approval should it be given.

Personally, I think it would have been great to have a bar/restaurant remain on the site but dominoes, subject to the above constraints, is hardly a disaster. But then I'm not 'local'.