A PLAN to allow a new Greggs in Wokingham to open at 6am has been approved.
The bakery chain is relocating its Broad Street outlet to Peach Place, having been granted permission last year.
However a restriction on its opening hours, of operating before 7am, has been lifted.
A spokesperson for Greggs said the new store will offer benefits to the community including repurposing a vacant unit, reinvigorating the shopping area, providing more food choices and offering new employment opportunities
This amendment to the opening hours has been criticised by residents who believe the justification for the earlier start are not warranted.
Elsie Evans, a resident who lives next door to the unit, said: “I believe it will be contractors working at the site on the redevelopment and not customers at 6am.
“The noise from this development will be significant, lengthy and will interfere with my environment on a daily basis.
“Most residents will be sleeping at this earlier time of day.”
Venta Acoustics were commissioned to assess the potential noise impact on residents and they concluded the extension of opening hours would not have an adverse impact.
A spokesperson for Venta Acoustics said: “The average noise levels are at a level which would be considered of low impact with partially open windows and would be considerably lower than the existing noise levels in the local area.”
Cllr Maria Gee, Liberal Democrat councillor for Emmbrook North, believes the extended opening hours will have a negative impact on residents in the town centre.
She said: “Leaving residents, albeit in a town centre location, only five and a half hours of undisturbed sleep is not acceptable.
“I am not convinced by the noise impact assessment, which does not have due regard to many premises adopting the same opening hours.”
Initial objections at the meeting were withdrawn after an officer report noted that, should there be a request to extend operating hours of any other unit, a separate application would be required.
Connor Corrigan, planning officer at the council, said: “Any such application would need to demonstrate that the proposal would not result in noise nuisance.”
