Hours row over plan to create new restaurant

Kabir Ahmed Suhel and Sujata Kar, from Sharrow, have applied for a premises licence to open up the House of Spice restaurant on the corner of Ecclesall Road and Greystones Road.

They want to open the eatery from 11am to 1.30am every day and serve alcohol until 1am.

Sheffield Council's planning department has objected to the licence application, however, saying the proposed closing time is too late. Instead, the planners suggest, the restaurant should close at 11.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11pm on Sundays.

Phil Abbott, the council's head of planning, said there was a significant number of residential flats above ground-floor commercial units and homes dwellings within close proximity.

He said: "I have concerns that there is a potential for noise nuisance to occur in light of the proposed operating hours.

"Patrons would potentially cause noise while arriving at the site on foot and by car or taxi. This would involve the generation of noise by customers and car-related noise.

"The licensing application also proposes the playing of recorded music, which would give rise to its own noise implications.

"The operation of the restaurant would involve food preparation and cooking. This would create a substantial amount of odour. It would also generate noise, due to the use of commercial cooking equipment, fans and staff noise."

Mr Abbott said current planning regulations for the premises restrict its opening hours to 12noon to 11.30pm from Monday to Saturday and 12noon to 11pm on Sunday. He added: "To open the premises beyond these permitted hours would be in breach of the planning approval. I would, therefore, recommend that the licence is restricted to these hours."

Today's licensing board meeting, at which a decision on House of Spice will be made, takes place at 10am at Sheffield Town Hall.