Sushi joint seeks 3am licence

A sushi restaurant faces objections to its second application to be allowed to make deliveries until 3am.

The Sushi Co, at 65 Western Road, Brighton, has applied for a “late-night refreshment” licence – from 11pm to 3am daily – for deliveries of sushi, Japanese cuisine and soft drinks only.

Draft conditions have been agreed with Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing and environmental protection teams.

After 11pm customers would not be allowed inside the premises and the entrance would be controlled to ensure that access would be only for delivery people collecting orders.

All orders taken after 11pm would have to be made either by telephone or through an app or website and delivered to a private or work address only.

Delivery drivers would be required to park legally with their engines switched off and the management would have to ensure that they did not shout or sound their horns to keep noise from waiting couriers under control.

But an objection from an anonymous neighbour means that the application is due to go before a council licensing panel at a hearing next Friday (30 October), with the decision to be made by three councillors.

The neighbour, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The extension of operating hours would cause significant disturbance and disruption to those that live in Western Road and those close and in the vicinity.

“The area already experiences significant noise from delivery (and) collect services and this would be extended as a result of this application well into the night, disturbing sleep.”

The Sushi Co is a London-based chain which applied in January for late-night deliveries until 5am and alcohol sales but was refused after Sussex Police said that it had “no confidence” in the business.

Licencing checks found the business trading after 11pm three times without a late-night licence.

At the hearing in January, the company’s head of marketing Jim Hawker apologised for the poor start to the company’s relationship with the police and the council.

At the time, the panel refused the application because, the council said, there was “no understanding of the licensing regime at the Brighton premises”.

Council policy generally rules out any new late-night fast-food licences whether on the premises or by delivery after 11pm.

The hearing is scheduled to be webcast from 2.30pm next Friday (30 October).