A fast food takeaway faces a battle with police and town hall environment officers over fears it could disturb neighbours until 2am.

Shaikh Farhan Ahmed, a director at Freddy Gatley Ltd, has applied to Stockport council for a premises licence for permission to extend opening hours until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The application relates to Freddys Chicken and Pizza on Church Road in Gatley.

The application said the licence was to support restaurant operations and that no music would be played. Timings and opening hours would remain the same all year around.

The plans have been met with opposition from the council's environmental health service and Greater Manchester Police. The force claimed Mr Ahmed 'has failed to respond to numerous e-mails regarding the application and proposed conditions' and 'failed to address crime and disorder mitigations'.

The police believes as a result, the application is against all four licensing objectives including the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm. They have asked councillors on the council's August 20 licensing committee to consider a number of conditions.

Officers also raised issues with the takeaways opening hours which they said went against the council's licensing policy. The council currently suggested takeaways and fast food premises close at midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Environmental health officers have also raised concerns about the application due to the premise's location in an area 'with residential properties in close proximity'. There are flats above the properties on either side, as well as at the back.

Council officers said the people living there 'are likely to be adversely affected by noise and disturbance arising from the operation of the premises, particularly during late-night hours'.

They added: "Environmental Health has previously received complaints in relation to noise associated with the premises, specifically concerning the operation of the extraction system. This indicates an established risk of noise

nuisance impacting nearby residential occupiers."

In their representation to the committee, officers said there was not enough detail in the operating plan for the licence as well as 'an absence of appropriate control measures'. This they said meant they could not be sure the new operations if approved 'would not give rise to a public nuisance'.

There was also criticism of the fact no noise impact assessment had been submitted despite 'the history of complaints and proximity of residential properties'. Pointing to the council's licensing policy too, they said: "The hours sought by the applicant exceed these guidelines, and no justification or supporting evidence has been provided to demonstrate why later hours would not adversely impact local residents."

Despite putting the application forward, Mr Ahmed also failed to advertise the licence application as required by law. This meant the whole process to welcome public feedback had to be restarted.

The LDRS approached the takeaway for comment. In its application, Mr Ahmed said: "We will operate in a responsible manner, ensuring all staff are trained to understand and uphold all licensing objectives. We will maintain high standards of service, keep accurate records to ensure our business operates legally and safely at all times.

"All staff will receive training on how to identify and prevent anti social behaviour. We will maintain clear visibility inside and outside the premises to deter illegal activities.

"Any incidents will be recorded and reported to the relevant authorities immediately."

The applicant said: "The premises will be equipped with fully functional fire extinguishers and emergency lighting, which will be regularly inspected and maintained. All electrical and gas equipment will be certified and checked by qualified professionals.

"We will ensure clear emergency exits are kept free from obstruction at all times and the premises are under 24-hour surveillance via CCTV, with footage stored securely. Kitchen and food preparation areas will be kept clean and hygienic to prevent health risks."

The business operator also promises to keep noise levels 'to a minimum, especially during evening and night hours' and ensure all operations 'do not expose children to any harmful situations or materials'.

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