Pizza protests over longer hours

At present, Fernando's in Whitham Road only has planning permission to trade until midnight Monday to Saturday and 11.30pm on Sundays.

Council planning officers have agreed with objectors that the proposed extended hours would cause unacceptable noise, and recommended that the application should be refused when it is considered by licensing officers at a meeting next week.

John Birtwhistle from the Broomhill Action and Neighbourhood Group (BANG), said: "Neighbours suffer continual nuisance from Fernando's Pizza and nearby fast food premises during term time.

"The pattern is that business almost closes down in Broomhill before midnight, but is revived as students return from pubs and clubs between about 2.45am and 3.45am in the morning.

"Some of these people are noisily drunk and disturb our sleep as they make their way to the fast food outlets. Customers gather outside the outlets, often unruly and noisy."

Another objector, Professor Peter Marsh, said: "I and my family have been kept awake on numerous nights over the past many years with shouting and noisy students as they buy take-away food in the small hours of the morning.

"Being woken after midnight, and at times up to 4am in the morning, by the noise generated by this trade is very bad news for the whole neighbourhood – students included – and the extensions need to be turned down to make the neighbourhood a tolerable place to live and sleep in."

A joint letter from doctors Judith and Alan Brown to Sheffield Council said: "We have been residents of Broomhill for nearly 40 years.

"Over the last few years we have seen a worrying erosion of this once-mixed residential area as it becomes a student ghetto, with local shops geared up to the perceived needs of a youthful 24/7 lifestyle."

Numerous other letters to the council from objectors complain of takeaway wrappers being dumped in gardens, illegal parking outside fast food outlets, anti-social behaviour and unbearable noise.

Peter Blank from PJ Properties, which is in Whitham Road opposite Fernando's, pointed out that similar applications for licence extensions have also been submitted by other takeaways nearby,

including Northern Sole, Broomhill Friery and Oasis Pizza.

Mr Blank said: "I dread to think about the state Whitham Road could be in should all the fish and chip shops and pizza places in our vicinity be granted these extended hours.

"I would ask the council to reject this application and restrict their hours."

Phil Abbot, head of planning at Sheffield Council, has asked for the licensing application to be refused on the grounds of public nuisance.

He said: "Patrons would potentially cause noise whilst arriving at the site, whilst waiting for orders, whilst consuming food immediately outside the venue and whilst departing to respective residences.

"The late opening of the premises would result in patrons waiting at the site and remaining in the area rather than going straight to their homes.

"This creates an additional source of noise and disruption which would otherwise be unlikely to exist."

A final decision on the licensing application for Fernando's will be made at a licensing board meeting at Sheffield Town Hall at 10am on Tuesday, May 18.

The takeaway could not be contacted for comment yesterday.