Approval for restaurant despite councillors’ concerns

Dudley Council has approved late night opening for a burger takeaway in Coseley despite concerns from all three ward councillors.

Burger Boi on Birmingham New Road applied to the authority for permission to open until midnight on Sunday to Thursday and 2am and on Fridays and Saturdays.

A meeting of the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on August 18 heard objections relating to fears of noise and antisocial behaviour as well as possible road safety problems which could be made worse by later opening hours.

Cllr Peter Drake told the committee 2am was a ‘step too far’, he added: “This is not an area renown for night life, it is a mixed use area, you do have shops, on the other side, within shouting distance, you’ve got houses.

“There is trouble in the area, you have police patrolling the area because of antisocial behaviour, a bus stop down the road was vandalised with racist graffiti, the alley at the back of Burger Boi has been used by people to defecate, there is fly-tipping there.

“I don’t think it is fair on residents having this place open late at night.”

Burger Boi manager Dinesh Singh told the committee 80 percent of trade at the premises was from delivery apps and there was only a small amount of in-dining.

He added there had been no objections from police, the fire service or environmental health officers and he was willing to work within a range of voluntary conditions if the application was accepted.

Mr Singh added: “On certain parts there is a bit of an over reach on assumptions, for example graffiti and vandalism; unless there is evidence it is an assumption to say its potentially our customers.

“We have been trading for over a year, the police have never been called to our premises.”

Cllr Drake was also concerned about drivers making illegal U-turns on the dual carriageway to access a service road in front of Burger Boi.

Mr Singh responded by saying there was a route drivers could take which was legal and if there was a problem a nearby 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant would have already been subject to restrictions.

He added: “It looks like the system is working, we are not a whale, we will not have the level of orders that McDonald’s has.”

The panel granted the application subject to the voluntary conditions but warned, if there were issues within six months, Burger Boi would be back in front of the committee for a licence review.