The business has been serving hot food takeaways for around 20 years
Chesters chicken on Smithdown Road
A long-standing chicken shop on Smithdown Road hoping to open until 4am cannot do so until it secures vital permission from Liverpool Council. For two decades, Chester’s Chicken and Pizza has served customers on the busy main stretch.
As of last October, the location has come into new ownership and is now operated by IAMZ Ltd. However, the new proprietors’ hopes of securing extended hours has hit a snag.
Liverpool Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee told the business that until they secure the required planning permission, ideas of serving takeaways until 4am is off the cards. Terms set by the city council’s building control officials mean a terminal hour of midnight applies for the building, deemed to be within a residential area.
Concerns were raised by Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, the Labour ward member for Smithdown.
In a written objection to the committee, she said: “This premises is in a residential area with people living above it, next to it, opposite it and behind it.
“It is not appropriate for businesses to trade past 12am in a residential area and doing so creates a public nuisance in terms of mess, litter, noise, disturbance and traffic.”
Ian Rushton, licensing agent on behalf of the company, told the sub-committee at Liverpool Town Hall how the business was now being run by a new family who took over last Autumn.
He said attempts had been made to transfer the previous licence, which were missed, and temporary event notices had been used in the meantime. The business is operating on a five-year lease.
Aerial view of Smithdown Road(Image: Google)
A total of six staff are employed at the shop, including delivery drivers. Regarding Cllr Robertson-Collins’ objection, Mr Rushton said there was “no evidence” to support the claim and Smithdown Road is “busy with numerous licensed premises and hot food takeaways.”
Asked why Iamz Ltd had sought the 4am licence, Mr Rushton said the operators wanted to “advance the business” and “develop it to make it competitive and commercially viable.”
Applications for planning permission were lodged with the city council in 2012 and 2013 to extend the opening hours until 2am and 3am but these were rejected.
Committee chair, Cllr Christine Banks, was satisfied to grant the application for a new premises licence which would allow for the sale of hot food past 11pm, but urged the applicants they must secure planning permission for anything beyond midnight or find themselves in breach of the terms.