King of Wings Hornchurch has applied to sell late-night food and drink between 11pm and 3am, seven days a week.

The takeaway, which opened in Hornchurch High Street in June, already opens until 11pm each night, but it now hoping to serve its halal chicken wings, rice boxes and burgers until the early hours.

However, the application has been met with three objections – from the Metropolitan Police, Havering Council’s environmental protection team and its licensing authority – who all raised concerns about the impact of the extended hours on public safety and nuisance.

PC Ellis Grote, on behalf of the Met Police, said the takeaway opening until 3am could “cause issues for local residents” due to “intoxicated members of the public” congregating around the premises.

In his representation, PC Grote said: “Within 100 yards of the premises, there are four licensed venues serving alcohol until the early hours at weekends and late at night midweek.

“Police believe that the premises being open until 3am will cause intoxicated members of the public to loiter in the area, waiting for food, making noise, which in my experience of policing town centres, will create unrest, impatience and friction between customers.

“In conclusion, police believe a venue with a terminal time of 3am will lead to crime and disorder, risk to public safety & public nuisance and at this time cannot support this application.”

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The council’s environmental protection team also noted that King of Wings falls within Hornchurch’s Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), where licensing applications which would add to the impact on the area are normally refused, unless the applicant can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

Environmental protection team leader Mike Richardson said: “In this case, the applicant has not demonstrated sufficient evidence to support the premises licence being granted beyond the recommended hours within the council’s licencing policy.

“There will be the inherent noise that will be generated by inebriated customers as they wait for their takeaway.

“The impact from this will be most experienced by those residents who live above the commercial venues within the immediate vicinity of 57 High Street.

“Similarly, disturbance will be caused to local residents adjacent to (and possibly behind) the venue by the noise from the extract system serving the takeaway into the early hours of the morning.”

According to the licensing authority, the applicant – franchisee Raztina Ltd – has only offered additional signage for customers as a way to mitigate these noise issues.

A report set to be presented to the council’s licensing sub-committee said that the authorities raised their concerns with Raztina Ltd during the application’s consultation period.

The applicant responded by saying: “Whilst we respect your concerns, we remain of the view that the application is appropriate as submitted and do not intend to amend the hours requested.

“In the circumstances, we would be grateful if the application could now proceed to a licensing sub-committee hearing for determination.

“We look forward to presenting our case to the committee.”

Havering Council’s licensing sub-committee will make a decision on the extended opening hours at a meeting on August 5.

Courtesy of Romford Recorder | Things to do