BCP Council licensing committee rejects Papa John’s application for a late-night refreshment licence at Barrack Road branch

A CHRISTCHURCH pizza branch has been denied the extra trading hours it asked for.

A BCP licensing committee has decided that the application for a late-night refreshment licence up to 5am on busy days would cause too much disturbance for neighbours of Papa John’s on Barrack Road.

A report on the committee findings concluded: “It was difficult to see how any measures would significantly reduce the risk of nuisance being caused to residents if the business were to operate to the hours applied for.

“The core business is customers contacting or entering the premises to make an order and then a customer or delivery driver entering the shop to collect it. All of which may cause nuisance to local residents in the early hours of the morning.”

The operators of the branch chose not to appear at a licensing committee to defend objections to its late-night refreshment sales proposal.

The council’s environmental health team and the owner of a flat above the premises had objected to the application for late-night refreshment for hot food and drink from 11pm until midnight, Sunday to Thursday and until 5am on Friday and Saturday. There was one letter of support.

The meeting heard there are several other takeaways on the road, one having a late-night refreshment licence until 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on the other days, and another having late-night refreshment and off-sales until 1am.

Environmental health officer Paul Barker told the hearing that it was the council’s experience that food outlets opening very late were likely to cause disturbance to residents in the area from delivery drivers and those who came to collect food.

“It’s just not suitable for up to that time in the morning,” he said.

The owner of the flat told the committee it was possible at night to hear the telephone ring and orders being taken, as well as customers and staff standing outside the premises.

He said there was also disturbance from delivery drivers and customers coming to collect as well as from motorcycle delivery riders, the noise added to by the shutting of a heavy door.

“Extending the hours until 5am would have a severe impact on the let-ability of the property and might be prohibitive, and could end up with an empty unit as well as the impact to me, financially,” he said.