A business that already delivers cold food to customers until 3am faced objections from neighbours after it applied for a late-night refreshment licence to add hot food to its menu.
The Sushi Co, in Western Road, Brighton, agreed draft conditions with Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing and environmental health teams before a hearing before three councillors today (Monday 2 November).
Currently, the business can deliver cold food after 11pm until 3am daily because this does not require a late-night refreshment licence whereas delivering hot food does.
One neighbour, John Smith, of Crown Street, Brighton, told the panel of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Andrei Czolak and John Hewitt – that he and other neighbours had met their ward councillor Alison Thomson before the meeting to discuss their concerns about noise.
Mr Smith said: “We will experience noise, whether it’s mopeds, cars or electric bikes, from conversations and the acoustics in the area which the restaurant has no authority or control over.
“I completely recognise that, and that’s part of the problem.
“Although you might be able to put signage up or cameras up, it’s not going to resolve the level of noise and anti-social behaviour that’s going to be inevitable as a result of a 3am opening for deliveries.”
Sushi Co operations manager Mohammed Waqas said that any delivery drivers who did not keep to the company’s conditions could be banned from operating out of the shop and even from working for third-party operators.
Mr Waqas said that the company had a weekly meeting with third-party delivery app firms Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat to discuss any issues that the company had had at its 48 branches across the south east.
At the Western Road branch, any delivery drivers would be asked to wait inside the business before collecting food to reduce noise.
Mr Waqas said: “The third-party drivers are not employed by us but it’s like we have a certain control over them.
“As soon as we receive complaints or anything, we take action and all the feedback is shared to the third parties on a regular and even daily basis.”
Should the panel grant the licence, the draft conditions would restrict entry to delivery drivers after 11pm with a dedicated member of staff managing the doors.
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 management would have to ensure that they did not shout or sound their horns to keep noise from waiting couriers under control.
The panel retired to make its decision which should be made public within five working days.
