A fast-food giant is facing a battle to run a 24-hour drive-thru at one of its Southampton restaurants.
Burger King’s proposal for a premises licence at the site in Burgess Road, Swaythling has attracted objections from a ward councillor and officers in two city council departments.
The application to provide late-night refreshment from 11pm to 5am every night is due before the local authority’s licensing sub-committee on Wednesday, October 2.
Burger King would operate as a drive-thru only from 11pm with the internal restaurant closed overnight.
The plans featured a series of conditions, including displaying signs “prominently” at all exits requesting customers to respect the needs of local residents and businesses and leave the area quietly.
In a submission to the licensing department, a senior council planning officer said: “An objection is raised to this application due to amenity and nuisance concerns regarding the 24-hour use and early morning hours in a residential area.”
A council environmental health officer said they met with representatives for applicant BKUK Group Ltd to discuss concerns around the opening hours and “probably negative effect” on neighbouring residential properties.
The officer said: “I have concerns that members of the public and delivery drivers using the drive-thru until 5am will cause a nuisance for local residents.
“Members of the public and delivery drivers using the car park until early in the morning are also likely to cause nuisance to local residents.”
The applicant’s representatives are said to have confirmed there might be an opportunity to amend the days and hours applied for, but they were not able to confirm amended hours during the meeting.
READ MORE: Burger King plans 24-hour drive-thru in Swaythling
Swaythling ward councillor Lorna Fielker has also objected to the proposal.
In her submission, Cllr Fielker said: “I am minded to object to this licence due to the restaurant being in a highly residential area and it is not in keeping with the closing hours of other takeaway outlets in the vicinity.
“If it is minded to approve a licence I would like to request that a condition of the licence is that the outdoor seating is removed to reduce noise associated with the hours of operation.
“The use of the outdoor seating area post 11pm by delivery drivers, waiting to collect, or staff members on breaks, particularly through the warm summer months, would create noise which would disturb local residents.”
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