We all deserve better - that's what planning policy is there to ensure.
Dominos or John Lewis are perfectly entitled to make an application and I am perfectly entitled to make an objection or support their application as I see fit. If my objections have no relevance in planning law then they will be ignored.
The planning officers would appear to agree with the objectors that this specific application was not in compliance with planning policy.
Call it snobbery if you want. To me it looks like the system working as it is intended.