Pizza restaurant can open later despite anti-social behaviour fears

The owner of the restaurant said his business was growing and the extended hours would help

A pizza restaurant has been granted permission to open late at weekends despite concerns over anti-social behaviour.

The owner of Caprinos, located on Edward Street in the centre of Westbury in Wiltshire, wanted to open until the early hours of the morning on Thursdays, Fridays, and over the weekend.

But two councillors and representatives of a neighbouring business objected.

A Wiltshire Council licensing meeting heard the area had been "plagued" with problems, but the owner said his "growing" business wanted to attract new customers.

Disturbance 'unwelcome'

Councillor Gordon King, representing Westbury Town Council, claimed extending the business’ hours would be an endorsement of “unhealthy food" that could lead to "long-term health conditions".

Councillor King was told that the healthiness of the food was not relevant to a licensing discussion.

Town councillor Mathew Dean also objected, saying the potential noise and light disturbance would be “significant” and “unwelcome.”

He described the new opening times as an hour at which “most ordinary people would think about going to sleep.”

'We are growing'

Both councillors claimed they had received many objections from local residents, but neither presented these to the committee.

Julian Sandoe, from Sandoes Chartered Surveyors, the management agent of the adjoining Angel Mill complex, also attended the hearing.

He said: “Caprinos’ presence already results in discarded pizzas and pizza boxes within the complex and smeared pizza on the walls to the walkways which we have to arrange to have cleared up.

"I fear that increasing their trading hours will result in more of the same.”

Mr Sancolcar, the director of Caprinos, said he was seeking permission to operate an extended delivery service and would not allow customers on the premises during the later times.

“Everybody in the [adjacent] building, most of them I know personally, they have never complained.

“We are growing, we need to market ourselves," he added.

After deliberation, the licence was granted with modified hours, and a request by Mr Sancolar to have extended opening hours on Bank Holidays and for national sporting events was denied.