Couple lose battle over Taco Bell smell

The fast-food restaurant will now be able to open until 01:00 at weekends

A fast-food restaurant will be able to open late at night, despite complaints from a neighbouring couple about an "unbearable" smell.

American chain Taco Bell opened its eatery on London Street, Norwich, last year and later applied to extend its opening hours.

A couple living behind the site objected to the plan as they said odours from its kitchen meant they were forced to sleep in their living room.

But a solicitor representing the firm rejected their complaints, and city councillors approved the company's application to open after 23:00 GMT.

The store can now trade until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.

'Seriously affected wellbeing'

In an objection sent to the council, the couple said they could not open external doors and windows due to odours from its kitchen.

That meant the heat in their bedroom became "unbearable" and it was unusable before 23:00.

They said if they wanted to go to sleep before then, they had to use their living room before later moving into bed.

"Our wellbeing is seriously affected by this situation," they added.

At a council licensing meeting, Matthew Phipps, a solicitor for Taco Bell, dismissed their concerns.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said there was "insufficient evidence" as environmental health officers had not taken any action against the business.

No other objections were lodged by people living near the restaurant, which was formerly a travel agent.

However, Taco Bell was forced to make more regular cleans of its extraction system six months ago, following the couple's complaints about bad smells.

After a discussion behind closed doors, the panel of councillors decided to approve the company's application, although they imposed strict conditions on the business - including more regular cleaning of the extractor fan system.

If further issues come to light, the licence could be reviewed, the panel said.