2am plan for Slough High Street takeaway disturbs ‘peace and quiet’, inspector says

Neighbours of a Slough High Street takeaway restaurant would suffer ‘significant harm’ if it were allowed to stay open until 2am, an inspector has said.

Cheatmeals, at 66 High Street, had applied to Slough Borough Council for permission to open past midnight for six days a week in an effort to ‘stay competitive’.

The takeaway then appealed to the Government Planning Inspectorate after the local authority refused permission over fears of increased noise for nearby residents.

A decision notice from planning inspector Chris Couper upheld the council’s decision and said later opening hours would likely disturb High Street residents’ ‘peace and quiet’.

The High Street site occupied by Cheatmeals - which sells burgers, milkshakes and fried chicken - has had permission to operate as a hot food takeaway since 2010.

That permission exists with operating hours from 9am until 11pm Monday to Saturday, and from 9am until 9pm on Sundays and public holidays.

But in the appeal, Slough council contested that Cheatmeals was already operating beyond the scope of its permission.

Mr Couper’s report on the appeal said: “The council states that it is currently operating outside of its permitted hours and that this has generated nuisance complaints from nearby residents.”

Cheatmeals’ website said its opening hours are from 12pm until midnight, Monday to Sunday.

The appeal by Cheatmeals, submitted by Hashmat Ullah Fayzeya, said the change in hours was a ‘modest extension’ and was needed to ensure the restaurant ‘remains competitive’.

The inspector’s report said: “The appellant maintains that the proposal is for a modest extension of the operating hours, which is required to ensure that the business remains competitive in a challenging economic climate.

“However, in my view, a three-hour extension of operating hours every day would be a significant change and, on the basis of the evidence before me, it would appear that most nearby competitors are not permitted to remain open similarly late into the night time.”

Cheatmeals’ High Street competitors like Caprinos Pizza, Chicken Cottage and Roosters Piri Piri were only permitted opening until 1am, the inspector said.

Heritage Bar and Kitchen at 80 High Street opens until 2.30am on weekends, operating also as a bar or entertainment venue.

According to the council’s enforcement team, the later hours there ‘attract a high volume of complaints from nearby residents’.

Cheatmeals also argued that 90 per cent of its sales past 10pm were online deliveries, and measures would be put in place to minimise potential disruption for nearby residents.

Mr Couper’s ruling said: “In its favour, the proposal would make a modest contribution to the local economy, including to the vitality and viability of the town centre.”

But he added this ‘would not outweigh the significant harm that would be caused to local residents’ living conditions from extending the permitted hours beyond those prevailing in the local area’.

The ruling said permitting the opening hours extension would cause ‘additional noise and disturbance at times when the residents could reasonably expect greater peace and quiet’.