A petition signed by 72 people has been submitted against plans for Pepe’s Piri Piri on Stone Road in Stafford to stay open until 3am every day.
Stafford Borough Council’s Licensing Sub Committee will consider the application next week after receiving 18 separate relevant representations from local residents and property owners, as well as the 72-name petition.
What is Pepe’s Piri Piri applying for?
The application, submitted on behalf of premises licence holder KOA Stafford Ltd, seeks permission for recorded music from 11am until 3am, late-night refreshments until 3am and opening hours of 11am until 3am, Monday to Sunday.
The Stone Road premises has held a premises licence since 23 November 2022. Its current licence allows it to open from 11am until midnight seven days a week, with late-night refreshments permitted between 11pm and midnight.
In its application, the business said extending the hours would help it meet increased demand for late-night takeaway and delivery orders. It said the premises is professionally managed and that procedures are in place to manage customers, deliveries and staff.
The application also proposes measures including CCTV, monitoring noise levels, keeping doors and windows closed to contain noise and displaying signs asking customers to keep noise to a minimum.
Residents raise concerns over noise, parking and litter
The council has received 18 relevant representations alongside the petition. The objections fall under three licensing objectives: prevention of crime and disorder, prevention of public nuisance and public safety.
Concerns raised across the representations include late-night noise from customers and delivery drivers, car doors and idling vehicles, litter, cooking smells and noise from extraction equipment. Residents have also raised concerns about vehicles parking on pavements and double yellow lines, blocked driveways and the effect additional late-night traffic could have around the Stone Road and Walden Avenue area.
Other representations raise concerns that longer opening hours could increase the potential for people gathering outside the premises and anti-social behaviour during the early hours. These are objections and concerns submitted by residents for the committee to consider, rather than findings made by the council.
The committee report states that none of the responsible authorities have objected to the application. Staffordshire Police Licensing did request changes to conditions covering crime and disorder and the protection of children, which have been agreed with the applicant.
The council also records previous nuisance complaints concerning noise and odour from a vent at the property. The report states these were resolved following the installation of a new flue in May 2025.
When will the application be decided?
The Licensing Sub Committee meeting will take place at 10am on Wednesday 23 September 2026 in the Craddock Room at Stafford Borough Council’s Civic Centre, Riverside, Stafford. The council’s meeting page confirms that the hearing is open to the public.
Members of the public can attend and sit in to observe the meeting. However, it is not an open-floor consultation. Stafford Borough Council’s licensing procedure says people who have already submitted a relevant representation can present their case at the hearing, while new issues cannot be introduced at that stage. The published consultation paperwork also states that representations received after the consultation deadline cannot be considered.
Anyone who needs to raise a question about the hearing or their participation should contact Licensing and Enforcement Officer Leo Parkes in advance at ehlicensing@staffordbc.gov.uk. He is listed as the contact officer for the application.
The sub committee will consider the application and representations before deciding whether to grant the variation as requested, change or add licence conditions, or reject all or part of the application.
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