A Brighton takeaway can trade for an extra hour after convincing councillors that it would not cause any problems.
Grill 66, in Queen’s Road, used to close at 11pm, with the owner Fadi Bedewi telling councillors that he had to turn customers away.
The new licence means that the shop can open until midnight, which still means that it closes earlier than other neighbouring takeaways.
Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council licensing officials opposed the application and a licensing panel hearing took place at Hove Town Hall last week.
They said that the business was in an area known as the “cumulative impact zone” because it had a high concentrations of pubs, clubs, restaurants and takeaways.
However, a licensing panel consisting of Conservative councillor Lee Wares, Green councillor Martin Osborne and Labour councillor Carmen Appich decided that the extra hour was not likely to add to existing problems.
The licence conditions require Grill 66 to have security cameras, door staff and litter picking. The business was also told that it could not offer a delivery service from its premises.
The panel said: “We think it more likely that up until midnight people are not likely to linger in the area and will be on their way somewhere via the station for last trains and thus the moving ‘corridor’ will be maintained.
“We believe that the period after midnight is likely to be the real challenge in terms of dispersal, given the pubs and clubs in the vicinity with late hours. These premises will be closed at this time.”
The panel also said that there were no representations from residents or local councillors.
The panel added: “We agree with the applicants that this is not a ‘go to’ area in terms of attracting more people into it.”
