A POPULAR Bracknell kebab van will be allowed to sell fast-food up to 19 hours a day despite concerns about parking and traffic on Bagshot Road.
King’s Kebabs, which has been selling burgers, kebabs and hot dogs for more than 30 years, has been given the all-clear to change its opening hours from the evening to the morning.
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Owner Mr Zafer Koc will keep the same early morning closing times but now has permission to open from 7.30am Monday to Friday, 8am on Saturday and 9am on Sundays instead of 6pm daily.
This comes after negotiations between council officers and Mr Koc’s son saw the two parties agree on the new opening times after King’s Kebabs had originally asked to sell its fast-food from 7am daily.
Environmental health officer Sophie Needs, who had concerns about more noise disturbing neighbours early in the morning, said: “It is still early but we are here to encourage business.
“[These times] should still catch the breakfast trade.”
Ms Needs also outlined her worries about more litter being dropped at the site to a licensing panel deciding on the new times, but Mr Sinan Koc hit back at this claim and other concerns raised about parking and traffic.
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He said: “In the last two years we have not had any issues regarding waste.
“We currently work at 6pm which I would consider peak traffic hours and there hasn’t been too much of an issue regarding our working hours causing issues with traffic.
“We have got a good relationship with the other businesses in the vicinity [Kwik Fit and Topps Tiles] and they don’t have an issue with parking.”
Mr Sinan Koc said he expected around 10-15 customers per hour on average.
Before the panel hearing went ahead, councillors Peter Heydon and Chris Turrell, as well as traffic manager Wayne Scott, had objected to the new opening times on traffic and parking grounds.
Mr Scott suggested lorry drivers had been seen parking on the dual carriageway and in some cases parking at the bus stop on the other side of the road and walking across to get to the van.
READ MORE: Kebab van forced to move from its site by council
After discussions with Mr Koc about the problem, he added: “My objections are around the potential for obstruction and parking along the slip road as a consequence of the change in hours at a time when other businesses are trading.”
Despite these fears, a Bracknell Forest Council licensing panel approved the application at a virtual meeting on Thursday, June 11.
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