A NEW restaurant has been granted a drinks licence despite objections from neighbours.

Elate, in Marine Drive, Rottingdean, has been operating as a coffee shop and café during the day.

Now the owner of the business, Isufaj Dritan, 48, can sell alcoholic drinks provided customers are having a meal, are seated at a table and served by waiting staff.

The licence, granted after a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel hearing, permits the sale of drink from 11am to 10.30pm daily.

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh objected to the application, along with three residents and Rottingdean Parish Council.

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They were concerned about the lack of soundproofing and potential noise nuisance from customers in the outside area.

Cllr Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “This is a quiet residential area.

“The outdoor area, where people have their windows directly above, they are going to be disturbed.

“Then there is smoking outside. It says there will be a smoking policy but, in reality, people who are smoking will choose to sit outside directly below people’s windows.”

Licensing agent Derya Teke, for Elate, said Mr Dritan would agree to close the outdoor area at 9pm and ensure bottles were not taken to the bins at antisocial hours.

She did not consider deliveries to be an issue for the restaurant which used to be a curtain and blind shop.

Ms Teke said: “The main aim for this application is not to sell alcohol off the premises or to become a bar or drinking establishment.

“As the licence is for on-sales only, to allow customers sitting at a table having a meal to order drinks from the alcohol menu, it does overcome any hesitation that this venue would become a drinking establishment.”

After the licensing panel hearing, the council sent a decision letter which said: “Overall, the panel does not consider that granting this application will undermine the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance.

“The panel consider that many of the concerns raised are speculative and largely unsubstantiated.

“There is a robust set of conditions to be attached to the licence to ensure that the style of operation is firmly controlled as a restaurant and to prevent public nuisance.”

The panel was made up of three councillors, Julie Cattell, David McGregor and Tobias Sheard.