A takeaway owner has been told that he cannot stay open until 4am by a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel.
Ebadullah Abid, 22, applied to the council to extend the existing 1.30am late-refreshment licence for his kebab and pizza takeaway, Flames, in Preston Road, Brighton.
But Sussex Police cited the high number of crimes in the area, saying that more than 2,000 incidents within a quarter of a mile required a police response in the past year.
These included 630 recorded crimes, including 217 violent offences, 155 thefts and 54 public order incidents. At weekends, almost half of all crimes involve violence.
Sussex Police objected to a later licence “on the grounds that it will undermine the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance”.
The force said: “While Sussex Police acknowledge that the premises application is not asking for the sale of alcohol, offering hot food and drink into the early hours encourages persons who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs to remain in the area which is surrounded by residential flats and properties.
“This increases the risk of crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour and public nuisance in an area that is already evidenced to be problematic.”
The council’s licensing team echoed those concerns and said that the premises was sited in one the busier areas of Brighton and Hove where “operators will be expected to … ensure that their operation will not add to the problems faced in these areas”.
The decision to turn down Mr Abid’s application to trade until 4am was made by a licensing panel made up of three Labour councillors – John Hewitt, David McGregor and Sam Parrott.
They were told that Mr Abid had contacted the police before making his application and was advised that the force would lodge an objection.
He said that he was not aware of problems with crime in the area. He was a registered security guard, he added, and his business had good security, including a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system.
At the licensing panel hearing on Friday 1 August, Mr Abid said that one of the neighbouring businesses was permitted to stay open until 5am while another operated late into the night.
In a decision letter, the council said: “The fact that other premises who were granted licences a long time ago had later hours does not constitute exceptional reason (to grant).
“The panel shares the concerns of the responsible authorities and does not have confidence in the applicant to operate or manage such an extension.
“In response to questions, it was clear that the applicant had very limited knowledge or appreciation of late-night concerns, especially regarding crime and disorder and the BCRP (Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership).
“The panel does not consider it is appropriate to grant this extension of hours in this challenging location which it considers would undermine the licensing objectives.”
