The owner of an Indian takeaway has defended his business after a neighbour said he was ‘regularly blighted’ by noise made by customers.
Jalpari of Woodley in the Loddon Vale Shopping Centre, Woodley, has applied to Wokingham Borough Council to extend its opening hours and the times it can sell alcohol.
Mr Enamul Hoque wants to open from 8am to 11pm every day of the week. Mr Hoque has also applied to play recorded music and sell alcohol until 11pm each day.
The award winning Indian restaurant boosted seating capacity from 22 to 74 after winning planning permission to expand into Unit 4 of the shopping centre in September last year.
But neighbour Darren Mills had objected to the plans, claiming himself and neighbours are ‘regularly blighted’, with noise, littering, customers smoking outside their communal doors and even customers urinating outside.
Mr Mills said he ‘can see not a real benefit to all who live in this area’ for the restaurant to open later.
The neighbour added his ‘quality of life here has been diminished considerably’.
A licensing panel made up of Wokingham Borough Councillors heard from Mr Muhammed Hussein, business partner to Mr Hoque, on Wednesday April 16.
Mr Hussein told councillors: “We try not to have any behaviour breach and customers leave my restaurant quietly. I try to do everything according to the law.
“I don’t want to be a bad neighbour, I want to be a good neighbour…all other neighbours around my restaurant, we have a good relation [with]. Everybody’s happy.”
The business owner said he wanted to extend opening hours so customers could dine in the restaurant for longer.
Mr Hussein explained: “The customers coming to my restaurant I want them to leave with a happy face mainly.”
He added they ‘refuse a lot of customers already’ due to the closing hours of 10pm which ‘doesn’t really have a good effect’ on the business.
Mr Hoque has agreed with Thames Valley Police the measures that will be taken to follow the premises licence.
This includes CCTV at all hours and signage of the CCTV in prominent positions.
Staff will also ‘actively’ discourage and disperse people from congregating outside of the restaurant to minimise disturbance to neighbours.
Notices would also be placed at the exists asking customers to respect neighbours and leave quietly.
Bodies including Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and the Home Office Immigration Enforcement were consulted, but none raised a concern.
Mr Mills did not attend the licensing panel. A decision will be published by Wokingham Borough Council in five working days.
