Plans for a restaurant at Whittlesford - Cambridge Canteen

The old Syngenta site along the New Farm Road entrance to Whittlesford off the A505 (near the M11 junction) had a works canteen. The site closed and so did the canteen. Now a company called Abricot has successfully secured a transfer of the licence and is going to operate a restaurant.

I took this up with the licencing department at South Cambs - in their opinion there hasn't been a change of use and therefore no need for a planning application. 

People in the village take a different view, especially as the company hasn't come and talked to the parish council in the way that the Red Lion did and the Tickell Arms owners when they were transforming their places. What was once a canteen operating within a site catering for people who worked there is now a very different operation, open to the public. 

I have asked ther planning department for more specific justification - and asked for details such as what if any restriction are there on the licence - can they serve alcohol 24 hours a day? Can they hold a beer festival? Events? Parties? What signs are allowed? Aand is this the beginning of a much larger development taking in more of the site.