A Sunderland KFC restaurant has won a new licence allowing it to open until midnight, despite public objections.
The city council’s licensing sub-committee has approved a late night refreshment licence for KFC at the Salterfen Park retail development in Ryhope.
This included a bid to extend the serving of food and drinks to the public up to midnight, Monday to Sunday.
The fast food chain had originally applied for late night refreshment up to 5am, but applicants scaled this back following comments from both the police and the council’s environmental health department.
Three public representations were submitted to the original licence bid raising concerns about possible noise, crime and disorder.
Although the licence applied for was scaled back to midnight, members of the public maintained their objections and a public hearing was held.
Members of Sunderland City Council's licensing sub-committee met on Monday, October 12, at City Hall to discuss the revised licence application from KFC.
Representatives for the applicant made their case for the time extension and although no members of the public attended, the submitted public objections were still discussed by councillors.
The final decision from the committee included granting the late night refreshment licence until midnight.
It was noted that KFC still needs planning permission to extend its opening hours to midnight to bring it in line with the new licence.
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A representative for the applicant, Marsdens Caterers of Sheffield Limited, said a planning application would be submitted to align the restaurant’s opening hours with the new licence.
Under licensing conditions, the KFC restaurant’s late night refreshment activities would also be restricted to the drive through lane only after 11pm.
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