Newham councillors said Kebabish’s plans to stop people gathering outside were “sufficient to allay any fears”, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Kebab (credit Syed Hussaini via Unsplash)

A restaurant in Plaistow will be allowed to sell food until 5am after councillors found “no actual evidence” it would cause noise or antisocial behaviour.

Neighbours and nearby business owners asked Newham Council not to grant a late-night refreshment licence to Green Gate Kebabish at 545 Barking Road.

But councillors agreed to grant the licence, in a decision published this week. They said the Kebabish’s owner’s plans to stop people gathering outside were “sufficiently robust” and “were sufficient to allay any fears”.

Councillors on a licensing sub-committee discussed the application on Tuesday, 10th February. Their decision was published in minutes released this week.

Minutes say two nearby residents and one business owner said they were concerned about groups of people gathering on the street late at night.

The business owner said there were “large amounts of people being attracted to the area in the late hours” and a nearby resident also said she thought groups of people on the street were attracted by “late night dining and deliveries”.

However, minutes say Kebabish’s manager’s responses “were sufficient to allay any fears” and that the licensing conditions the applicant had suggested to prevent noise were “sufficiently robust”.

These included that indoor dining would stop at 2am, and that food would be delivered “in a prompt manner” to delivery riders with “no engines idling, no horns or waiting outside”.

Councillors also noted that none of the “responsible authorities” – such as police, envrionmental health or council licensing officers – had objected.

And they agreed that “there was no evidence presented” that showed granting the licence would lead to noise, crime or disorder.

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