An upmarket city restaurant wanting to make better use of its private dining room by selling alcohol has had its licensing application delayed.
Roger Hickman, owner of his namesake's restaurant on Upper St Giles Street in Norwich, is asking the city council for a licence for his first-floor private cubby.
Ahead of the meeting, he said it was a necessary move as part of his Covid recovery plan.
On Thursday, Norwich City Council's licensing committee delayed the application after a representative for Mr Hickman presented them with a late noise report.
Chairman Ian Stutley described it as a "thick document", asking why it had been presented so late, forcing them to adjourn.
Mr Pickering, the agent acting on behalf of the applicant, said he had been given it on Thursday morning but he thought it had been prepared the week before.
Before closing the meeting, councillors raised concerns about the plans submitted to them.
Mr Stutely asked if customers would have to walk through the kitchen to get to the dining room as the plans suggested.
Councillor Sue Sands added: "The way I looked at it is that the only access to the dining room - there's no door marked to the new dining room, one assumes there's a door there - is through the kitchen."
Mr Pickering responded that it was an open kitchen.
Ms sands said: "My concern remains, that people, in order to access this dining area, will have to walk through a kitchen."
The plans also mislabeled rooms, with a dining room labelled as a living room and no windows marked on the plans.
Mr Stutely said they would discuss the issues when it comes back before the committee.
An objection to the plans was submitted to the committee from Mr Hickman's neighbour.
His concern is that the private dining room is right next to his living room.
Council documents reveal he doesn't just hear noise from the room, but can sometimes "interpret what people are saying".
He adds: "My concern is that licensing the private room until midnight seven days a week would make normal life in my house impossible."
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