A new convenience store in Woodley will only be allowed to open between 7am and 7pm, Wokingham Borough Council has ruled – despite previously saying it could sell alcohol later into the night.
Mr Tajmeet Singh has plans to convert the empty Just Tiles shop on Headley Road into a Nisa, a cafe, a hairdresser and a hardware store.
The council’s licensing committee ruled in February that he could be allowed to sell alcohol from the Nisa from 6am to 11pm.
But its planning department has now imposed more restrictive opening times to stop neighbours ‘being subject to an overly harmful level of noise.’
Mr Singh applied for planning permission to convert the Just Tiles shop into four units in January. But one neighbour and some town councillors raised concerns about noise and traffic.
A Headley Road neighbour told council planning officers: “My main concerns are the delivery loading times at what time of day, as this will provide noise, myself and other residents are night/day shift workers.
“I also have a concern of what time these shops will close in the evenings and would it cause anti-social behaviour/crime in the car park. This would cause extra litter and general noise that has never been there before.”
Woodley Town Council’s planning and community committee questioned whether there would be enough parking to serve four shops.
Wokingham Borough Council approved the application, but only on the condition that the shops could open no earlier than 7am and close no later than 7pm. Plans to build a flat above the shops were also approved in February.
