Safety concerns for staff of a fast-food chain in Wokingham have been raised as the company bids to stay open into the early hours of the morning.
Burger King in Carnival Leisure Park has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour, with measures taken by both Thames Valley Police and Wokingham Borough Council to deter late-night car meets.
Now, the business has applied to run a 24-hour operation to respond to ‘an increase in customers consuming food later on at night’.
Council officers urged a Licensing and Appeals Subcommittee on December 16 to treat the application with ‘caution and hesitance’, arguing that not enough measures had been put in place to ensure staff safety.
Wokingham Borough Council runs a ‘Get me Home Safe’ policy, meaning late-night businesses must ensure staff members can travel home safely, for example by paying for a taxi.
Alex Tomlinson, on behalf of BG UK, said that although a plan in line with this policy was not provided, the company ‘already do a lot of the measures’, such as two staff members closing the store.
Mr Tomlinson said BG UK would be ‘more than happy’ to provide a plan.
He added that although the application was for 24-hour operation, this was only to give ‘commercial flexibility’ – and the store could in fact close earlier if deemed suitable to managers.
But this was criticised by committee members by making the application less clear.
Councillor Stephen Newton said: “The risks of getting home at two or three in the morning may well be very different to getting home at six o’clock in the morning.”
Town councillor Andy Croy further raised concerns about drunk and disorderly behaviour of customers late at night, which could be a nuisance for neighbours at next-door flats.
Councillor Croy said the ‘vast majority [of customers] are going to be people coming from the pub’ – pointing out that 12 town centre pubs are within a ten-minute walk from the premises.
Branding himself an ‘expert on Wokingham’s nightlife’, Cllr Croy said: “Some people just aren’t rational when drinking and there’s nothing that Burger King can do to stop those people … there’s nothing you can do to stop people from turning up and trying to get service.”
BGUK Group says that CCTV will be installed at the premises, with a staff member familiar with its operation working at all times. An incident log will also be kept and made available to the council or police if necessary.
Following representations, members of the committee will make a decision and it will be published in coming days.
