Residents fear 'unacceptable' noise issues as Harrogate curry house looks to serve outdoors and extend opening hours

Jinnah Restaurant on Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate, wants to vary its licence for outdoors dining and drinking until midnight every day of the week.

In an application to Harrogate Borough Council, the restaurant said it wants customers to "enjoy the ambience" but will not allow "disruptive or noisy" behaviour.

However, seven letters of objection have been sent to the council's licensing sub-committee expressing fears that the move would only add to the noise complaints already made to pubs and bars in the area.

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One resident has written to say extending the opening hours and granting an outdoor licence would "inevitably result in anti-social behaviour".

Another objector said: "In my opinion the majority of customers who go to the Indian later in the evening have already had sufficient", adding: "We are already subjected to more late night revellers noise from the Inn on Cheltenham so I certainly don't want more noise from the outside area of the Jinnah".

Some of the letters of objection also mention there are young families in the area.

One said: "The proposed extended hours are unreasonable and will have a negative impact on myself, my family and my neighbours.

"Given that noise reverberates around the street I firmly believe that granting the proposal will keep members of the street awake into the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning."

North Yorkshire Police has also objected to the licensing changes. It said the application needs several conditions adding to bring it in line with

the Licensing Act 2003.

The force said if the applicant is in agreement with the conditions surrounding documentation and the rules of serving alcohol, its objection would be retracted.

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The restaurant - which is located at a former Methodist church - currently has a licence to serve customers indoors between 10am and midnight, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 11.30pm on Sundays.

Its application is to extend its licensing area outdoors and serve customers between 10am and midnight every day of the week.

The application states: "We would like to supply and serve both alcohol and light refreshments outside of the premises.

"Customers will use plastic glasses as a safety precaution in this outer seating area and there will be a limit to the amount of people that will be able to sit.

"As we are a family orientated business and have cultural beliefs we do not allow any of our customers to be intoxicated, if we find that they are becoming disruptive or noisy they are asked politely to vacate the property and not return."

A decision on the application will be made at a virtual meeting of the council's licensing sub-committee on 20 August.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter