A controversial application for a popular Chinese restaurant’s opening hours to be extended until 3am has been approved, despite residents dubbing it a ‘trojan horse’. 

The application for Chong Qing was lodged by Tian Hui Zhuo on February 17 for a change in licence between the hours of 00:00 and 03:00, seven days a week.  

Their previous licence, which was granted when the restaurant opened, only permitted food service from 12pm until 11pm daily. 

Councillors made the decision on Tuesday (23 April) during a licensing sub-committee meeting held at the town hall, which lasted for almost two hours. 

Statements were heard from Miss Zhuo as well as Peter Sefton, the chairman of Changing Sheff, a local residents group. 

Mr Sefton described the application as a ‘trojan horse’, opening the floodgates for similar applications which would spread the notoriety of West Street into residential parts of the city.

He said: “This is not an innocuous application to serve popular Chinese late night snacks to students, it is an attempt to break out of the West Street late night economy and extend it into Glossop road.” 

But Miss Zhuo argued: “We are not offering drinks, we are not offering entertainment, we are not offering parties.

“We are not going to accept any customers in the shop who look like they will misbehave, they will be kicked out of the shop. For any residents who are asking for us to place requirements and restrictions, we are happy to do so.” 

Following a short deliberation by the councillors, the meeting was reconvened and the licence was granted with the condition that there must be no delivery orders taken during the extended opening hours. 

Samantha Bond, legal advisor to the committee, said: “The premise has operated here for a number of years without specifically causing any problems themselves.”

“We accept that there are problems in the area but in terms of this premise members didn’t consider that they contributed to any of the nuisance or disorder in the area.”