A bid to allow a Bradford fast food restaurant to open from 5am despite being close to homes looks set to be refused next week.

Permission is being sought from Bradford Council planners to alter the opening times of the McDonald’s restaurant at Rooley Lane.

The venue is currently allowed to open from 7am until midnight after successfully applying in 1999 to open an hour earlier than originally allowed.

Planners had initially advised Bradford Planning Panel members to allow the latest changes when they met last month.

But after the decision was deferred to allow time for the council’s environmental health team to be consulted again, planning officers are now recommending refusal.

They now believe that as the site is close to a number of homes the earlier opening times would result in “significant harm” by way of “noise and general disturbance at unsociable hours”.

A spokesman for the Council’s planning service, said: “The situation has been re-appraised following a more detailed analysis.”

A report to the meeting describes how a noise impact assessment finds that the sound from air-handling and kitchen extract equipment on the roof of the building is below the quietest background noise.

But it states that: “While general noise may well be below the measured noise levels, there is concern that there could be short sharp noises such as doors being slammed shut, which could disturb the immediate neighbours.”

The Council has received two complaints over the application to vary the conditions, one from ward councillor and Council leader Ian Greenwood, the other is from a resident living directly next door, who fears increased noise from customers at anti-social hours and believes the noise currently generated by customers and their vehicles is far greater than suggested in the application.

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