A new pizza restaurant’s plans to open until 4am every day could lead to more noise, crime and public nuisance, police told councillors.
Perfect Pizza Place Limited [corr] applied for a late-night refreshment licence for Hove Pizza Plaice [corr] at 162 Portland Road, Hove, with opening hours from 11am to 4am daily.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing department and environmental protection team and Sussex Police opposed the application, prompting a hearing before three councillors.
Council policy is to restrict new late-night food licences to midnight outside the citay centre.
The company owned by Sankar Sengottian, 43 and Moham Palanisamy, 37, did not apply to sell alcohol.
During the hearing on Friday 1 August, police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst said in the last year there were 283 crimes along Portland Road and neighbouring side roads within a quarter of a mile of the business, 73 of which were violent crimes.
Ms Staplehurst said: “With an area already experiencing a high number of incidents, which occur mostly throughout the day, permitting a premises to be open into the night-time economy is likely to increase incidents in the locality.
“There are already a number of premises which trade along Portland Road, varying between pubs, off licences and food-led premises.”
Sussex Police fear offering food and soft drinks late into the night encourages people who may be drunk to remain in the area. She added that there were no details on how the business would manage deliveries.
The force wanted the application refused, but offered draft conditions that the business would offer deliveries only after 11pm until 1am.
Environmental protection officer Chinwe Ihemefor [corr] said the department opposed the application as late-night cooking would generate noise, particularly the extraction system.
She said on Monday, 17 February the department received a complaint about “non-stop noise” from machines and equipment causing the walls to vibrate.
A warning letter was sent to the business, requiring evidence the ventilation system was adequate and well-maintained.
The business was also required to prove it was taking action to reduce noise and vibration from its pizza oven.
Mr Sengottian said they had installed dampeners and are cleaning the extractor fan weekly, but Ms Ihemefor said what is acceptable at 11pm is not at 3am.
He said the plan is to offer deliveries only after 11pm and offered to reduce the delivery hours to 2am.
In line with Sussex Police request Mr Sengottian said he was happy to add extra cameras to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) to what is already in place.
He also offered to join the Business Crime Reduction Partnership.
Labour councillor David McGregor asked what made the application exceptional for the panel to go against policy.
Mr Sengottian said: “We want to give hot food to the customers. There are a couple of businesses running in the same road, the chicken and pizza deliveries.
“A few of our customers have requested that they are able to get deliveries after 11pm and midnight at the weekends.”
The panel – councillors John Hewitt, Sam Parrott and David McGregor – retired to make their decision which is due to be made public within five working days.
