Police have objected to plans for a street food market and tap room to serve drinks although some neighbours have given their support.

Beak Brewery, in Lewes, wants to set up a fully seated venue at the former car-hire site at 47 Trafalgar Street, Brighton.

The site is owned by retired company director Patricia Camping who lodged an unsuccessful planning application for offices and shops that drew almost 1,300 objections.

Beak Brewery founder Daniel Tapper, 39, has the backing of the site’s immediate neighbour, the Prince Albert pub, as well as other nearby businesses. He also received a positive reaction from the North Laine Community Association.

But Sussex Police have objected to proposals to sell alcohol from 9am to 11pm daily – on and off the premises.

The objection from the police and from Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing team and three residents mean that the application will need to be decided by a council licensing panel.

A panel, made up three councillors, is due to consider the application next week – on Thursday, April 4.

The premises is in Trafalgar Street which is in a busy part of Brighton where the council has stricter licensing rules because of the “saturation” of drinks-led businesses in the area.

Acting Inspector Mark Redbourn, for Sussex Police, said that the operation was essentially a new pub hosting more than 200 customers.

He explained that the force dealt with 146 violent crimes, 210 thefts and 54 public order offences within a mile of the venue over the year to Friday, March 8.

A resident who objected to the application, whose details were redacted by the council, said that they had seen the area change in the 35 years that they had lived in the North Laine.

They said: “The exchange of drugs, incidents of violent behaviour and late-night noise are now commonplace and, as a consequence, residents are leaving the area, often with their houses then becoming short-term lets.

“The link between the number of licensed premises and the level of crime in an area is well established, yet licences continue to be granted to premises in North Laine which now has 90 licensed premises, three times the number it had in 2005.”

The North Laine Community Association said that it was “cautiously welcoming” the proposals after Mr Tapper spoke with residents – but it asked for soundproofing and opposed to live music events.

More support came the owner of the neighbouring Prince Albert pub, George Taylor.

He said: “It’s my strong belief that this premises licence application will not add to any anti-social behaviour or any public nuisance, given the nature of the proposed business that it will house being food oriented.

“It will in fact bring a more positive social impact and some much-needed regeneration to the area.”

Mr Tapper wrote in his application that he founded Beak Brewery after spending almost ten years working as a restaurant critic.

His Brighton venue would offer food from four “affordable kitchens” run by local chefs, a specialist coffee and bakery section and a small bar.

He said that he took the social responsibility of operating in the area “extremely seriously”, stating that the venue would be food-led and customers would be served only if they were seated and ordered with a table number.

He added: “We’ve been blown away by the reaction we’ve received so far, with a highly unusual number of letters of support via the council’s planning portal from local people and businesses.

“I think this is because we are being very transparent. We also take social responsibility extremely seriously.”

Mr Tapper said that he had no plans for live performances – and waste collections, which can give rise to complaints about noise, would take place between 6am and 7pm only.

One objector said that if the business were to close then the licence should be surrendered – a suggestion taken up by Mr Tapper in his application.