Plans to re-open a takeaway kiosk to sell kebabs could be thwarted by council and police officers.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) and Reading Borough Council (RBC) officers have raised concerns over the potential impact on public safety in the town centre if the hot food hut is allowed to re-open.

Kamal Saleem has applied for a licence to run Central Kebabs at the kiosk opposite St Mary’s Church.

READ MORE: Matchbox could lose licence after Thames Valley Police call in review

The hut is on a small paved island on St Mary’s Butts opposite the church and already has a licence, but the church has refused to allow the current licence holder to operate on the premises.

TVP and RBC have objected to the application because they say the applicant has not fully addressed the ‘Cumulative Impact Policy’.

The kiosk is within the council’s ‘Cumulative Impact Area’ which exists to address the stress caused by a high concentration of late night licensed premises in the town centre.

READ MORE: Winning bidder Greenwich Leisure outlines sport and fitness vision in Reading

TVP licensing officer Declan Smyth said: “There has been a stabbing and a number of major instances of disorder in the immediate vicinity of the proposed licence.

“It is felt that if this application is granted it will likely lead to the licensing objectives being undermined with specific regard to prevention crime and disorder, public safety and prevention of public nuisance.”

RBC licensing officer Robert Smalley agreed with Mr Smyth.

READ MORE: Pavlov's Dog set for name change and new look

He said: “Since this licence has been dormant the levels of crime have remained very high in this area and the likely effect of granting this licence will only compound this issue.”

RBC’s Licensing Applications committee will make a decision on the application next Thursday (January 30).

The premises licence is currently held by Murat Emekdar, who ran the kiosk for 20 years before having his tenancy agreement rescinded by the church authority – Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin – in 2018.

Mr Emekdar has refused to transfer the licence to anyone else and continues to pay the annual fee despite not being able to operate from the hut.

He has asked for the council to take the premises back from the church – who he claims was given the hut more than 100 years ago – and allow him to trade.

New applicant Mr Saleem has applied to trade at the hut at the same hours as Mr Emekdar previously operated, offering ‘late night refreshment’ until:

  • 3.30am on Saturdays
  • 3am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
  • 2.30am on Tuesdays
  • 2am on Sundays

The application will be reviewed at the 930am meeting alongside a review of Matchbox's licence following violent incidents.