Hastings takeaway wants to extend its late-night opening hours

On Thursday (September 8), a Hastings Borough Council licensing panel is due to consider an application to extend the hours of a late night food licence for Flames Grill, a takeaway in Havelock Road.

Through its application, the takeaway is seeking to extend its licence from 3am to 4am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights — the same hours the takeaway had before they were cut back following a licensing hearing in February 2020.

The 2020 hearing had been called in light of a request from Sussex Police to revoke the takeaway’s licence following a ‘series of serious violent incidents’ connected to the premises.

Despite the police calls to revoke the licence entirely at the time, councillors instead opted to cut back opening hours and impose stronger conditions. These conditions, which were solidified following a later court hearing, included those around the takeaway’s CCTV system and a requirement to employ door staff.

The business says it has complied fully with these conditions and is not seeking to remove them as part of this application. The only change would be the extra hour of opening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on Sundays before bank holiday Mondays.

It also points out that it has also been able to open until 4am ‘without incident’ on a number of occasions in the past year, through the use of Temporary Event Notices (TENs).

Even so, the application is opposed by Hastings Borough Council licensing officers, who argue the hours would go beyond what would normally be granted under local policies.

The application is also opposed by Sussex Police, which argues the reduction in hours had reduced crime and disorder related to the premises.

The hearing had initially be due to take place in July, but was adjourned at the applicants’ request.

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