Takeaway’s 4am bid could lead to misery for locals
RESIDENTS SAY NOISE AND RUBBISH POLLUTION IS A NIGHTMARE
A CITY centre takeaway’s bid to stay open until 4am could leave nearby residents plagued by a continual procession of ‘shrieking’ revellers, council bosses have warned.
Plans to extend the opening hours of Crystal D Indian takeaway in Newcastle have been met with a raft of objections, including from the police and the local authority’s environmental health chiefs. It is claimed that allowing the premises to operate until 4am on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays – rather than its current midnight closing time – would make Waterloo Street a magnet for loud, drunken behaviour into the early hours.
Angela Wallace, of Newcastle City Council’s environmental health team, said: “Environmental health officers already have extensive and prolonged experience of activities arising from the use of premises within Waterloo Street owned by the same individual and which offer the same operating style, that is late night takeaway.”
She added: “I am of the view that the operation of a late night takeaway on Waterloo Street will result in the pulling of customers into the street from the main collection of hot food takeaways on Westmoreland Road and Marlborough Crescent.
“Groups of people and individuals shrieking, shouting with accompanying boisterous behaviour which in itself creates noise will enter Waterloo Street. Such individuals will then meander along Waterloo Street to procure food. In turn this will bring a continual procession of late night revellers, of whom many display behaviours associated with excessive consumption of alcohol, to Waterloo Street.
“These revellers will cause public nuisance and anti-social behaviour which will impact on residents.”
Further objections from neighbouring residents claim that the street is dominated by “rubbish and cat-sized seagulls’ and that the area’s takeaways ‘have a long and well-documented record of interfering with our right to peaceably enjoy living here”.
Inspector Stephen Wykes has lodged an objection on behalf of Northumbria Police, ahead of the application coming before a civic centre licensing committee next week. He said: “Premises of this nature attract intoxicated and noisy patrons. The area suffers from elevated levels of crime and disorder within the night time economy hours and it is a hotspot for disorderly behaviour and incidents resulting in complaints made to Northumbria Police.”
He added: “Northumbria Police believe to grant the variation of premises licence would have a negative effect on an already busy area and would undermine the licensing objective of prevention of crime and disorder.”
The takeaway has also requested that it is allowed to open until 2am on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Garrie Keam, local resident and chairman of the Neighbourhood Watch, told the council: “This establishment is opposite a couple of large apartment buildings and residents frequently complain about noise disruption, customers leaving, taxis and all the associated noise and rubbish pollution from associated establishments in the same building.
“To allow another establishment to trade to such a ridiculous hour would exacerbate the situation here.”
The licensing sub-committee hearing will be held at 10am on Tuesday, June 12. The applicant, Muhammed Khan, has been contacted for a response.