Plans for a fast-food restaurant’s drive-thru to remain open 24 hours a day have been approved.
Burger King opened at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre in Gillingham in June 2022 and has been operating as both a drive-thru and dine-in restaurant ever since.
At present both parts operate between 9am and 10.40pm, from Monday to Saturday, and from 9am to 10pm on Sundays.
But at the start of June, plans were submitted to change the opening hours of the drive-thru from 11am to 5am – making it 24 hours.
The application also noted that the dine-in restaurant would be open between 5am to 11pm.
The site was recently granted a new licence, which enables the provision of late-night refreshments between 11pm and 5am all week.
The application letter states that the extended opening hours were “not considered to result in any unacceptable impact on the existing levels of amenity”.
It adds that the licence contains several conditions, including CCTV, to ensure no potential disturbances arise that could impact homes nearby.
Notices will also be displayed at the site asking customers to leave the area quietly. The toilets will not be open during the extended hours.
Yesterday (August 4), the planning application was approved, with conditions.
When the American fast-food chain first opened three years ago, Medway Council initially refused permission over concerns about the impact on residents, litter and congestion.
But those behind the bid from Burger King successfully appealed the decision.
Founded in 1954, Burger King has grown to become the second-largest fast-food hamburger chain in the world, with more than 500 branches alone in the UK.
