More than 1,200 people have signed a petition in support of a burger and pizza van business.

But the business has had its application for a street trader licence refused by officers of Maidstone council.

Frankie and Finns is a long-established mobile catering firm which most recently operated outside Victoria’s nightclub on the A20 in Harrietsham.

It had to quit that spot because the site is being redeveloped. So instead, the business owner, Frankie Osborne, applied for a licence to open a little farther along the A20 – at New Shelve Farm in Lenham.

The site chosen would be on hard-standing in the corner of the farmer’s field, adjacent to Rayners Hill.

Entry would be via Rayners Hill and parking and the fast-food van would all be off-road.

But the application has been opposed by Lenham Parish Council on road safety grounds.

The parish feared it would increase the danger at an already busy junction on a fast trunk road, and in addition was likely to result in customers stopping in the nearby bus layby on the A20, making life difficult for bus drivers.

In addition, the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit objected because the chosen spot is at the foot of the escarpment and “would hardly enhance the AONB”.

Mr Osborne has appealed against the refusal, which will be heard by members of the council’s licensing committee on Monday.

The business owner explained he wanted to operate between 7am and 9pm, every day including Sunday.

He will offer cooked breakfast, burgers, fries, pizza and hot and cold sides from a van and trailer.

Maidstone council said Kent Highways had raised no objection. There are no homes within 100 yards.

Unusually, the application has received a message of support from a neighbouring parish council.

Before moving to Victoria’s, Frankie and Finns had operated at Charing.

Charing Parish Council said: “Frankie and Finns was sited on a regular basis within the parish before they moved to Harrietsham.

“This proved popular with the parish and the community. There were never any problems with parking, noise, smell or litter, and it was a shame they moved.

“Living in a rural area, residents are restricted on what food outlets are available without driving into town. Many residents used this much-needed facility.”

Lenham Parish Council chairman John Britt said: “We have nothing against the business itself, but where Mr Osborne is proposing to put it is in the wrong place.

”That stretch of the A20 has a 60mph speed limit. It is a clearway and seems like a racetrack much of the time. There was a fatal accident a short distance away only two weeks ago when a motorcyclist was killed.

“It is notoriously dangerous – and don’t forget that this road substitutes for the M20 whenever there is a problem on the motorway.

“It is not right to say the Kent Highways didn’t object - they made no response, which perhaps means they were given little time to do so.”

The online petition in support of the business can be found here. It has had 1,239 signatures to date.

Frankie and Finns has a five-star rating on Tripadvisor