A fast-food takeaway in Reading is looking to open to customers until as late as 4am.

Reading Pizza & Peri Peri, by Cemetery Junction at 224 London Road, is seeking to open as late as 4am and has applied for a variation to its planning permission to change its hours.

The applicant has asked for the hours to be extended until “at least 2am” but “ideally to 4am” in parallel with kebab shop Ye Babam Ye, which is three doors down.

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The takeaway is currently able to open until 11pm, seven days a week, under its planning permission although this is currently restricted to 10pm by Covid-19 laws.

Owner Waqar Ullah said: “I am hoping to have permission for extended hours in order to make an effort to make ends meet.

“It’s getting extremely hard to be able to survive within very competitive surroundings .

“If we are able to open for a few extra hours, it will help not only the business but at least four jobs connected to it.

“My takeaway being a pizza delivery, it has more potential late in the night [than in the daytime].”

Reading Pizza & Peri Peri will also need to apply for a late night refreshment licence to serve beyond 11pm.

During pre-application discussions, a planning officer told the applicant: “When assessing these applications we will consider the possible disturbance to local residents caused by late night opening through cooking smells and noise caused by customers.

“We will consult neighbours on your proposed opening times. It will be for you to make the case why the longer hours would be acceptable.

“The licence regime and planning regime are different and we often have to sort out the tangle of owners not realising that getting approval from licencing is only part of the process.

“If you have a good case to support longer opening times then of course we will consider it and opening times of nearby take-aways will be relevant.”

Kebab shop Ye Babam Ye currently has the latest opening times in the area, closing at 4am on Fridays and Saturdays

But Mr Cod, at 211 London Road, recently applied to open as late 4.30am.

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Pubs, bars and restaurants are currently closed during the second lockdown, except for takeaways.

Takeaways are allowed, but from 10pm to 5am this can only be done via delivery, click and collect or drive through.