A restaurant has won a battle to deliver food until 4am at weekends despite fears over noise.

Fast food chain Wraps and Wings was granted permission for the early-hours licence after vowing to use “silent delivery” at its new Canterbury venue.

The soon-to-open Palace Street eatery originally hoped to run deliveries until 4am every day of the week - but was only granted a 2am cut-off from Sunday to Thursday after its licensing bid was met with strong opposition.

Speaking at Canterbury City Council’s licensing sub-committee yesterday (Wednesday), owner Vaqas Farook said people need more late-night food options in the city.

“I studied here so I know what it’s like - at 2 o'clock in the morning there’s nothing healthy, there’s nothing good, there’s no variety out there and there still isn’t, though it’s grown a lot,” he argued.

Before the meeting at The Guildhall in Westgate Gardens, councillors and residents had objected to the plans, citing fears of late-night commotion from delivery drivers.

Cllr Pip Hazelton (Lab) said in a letter that the “prospect of motorbikes and mopeds revving around the city making deliveries until nearly dawn in the summer is not acceptable”.

Cllr Michael Dixey (Lib Dem) echoed her concerns, adding delivery vehicles would be a “danger to pedestrians”.

Allaying the concerns, Mr Farook argued they would employ their own staff rather than use services like Uber or Deliveroo, between 11pm and 4am.

He stressed the firm, which has about 30 takeaways in the UK, would use “silent delivery” in the small hours - with their riders using electric vehicles and bicycles.

Mr Farook told members: “We haven’t had a complaint for two years at any venue I’m proud to say.”

He claimed the firm regularly checks for grievances raised by sending local authorities Freedom of Information requests.

Situated next to King’s School - the world’s oldest - Wraps and Wings is expected to host 25 covers after opening this autumn.

Mr Farook argued King’s did not object to the plans, which have been in the works for more than two years.

But Clive Bowley, of the St Peter’s Residents’ Association, told the committee of his fears of “late-night disturbance and congestion.”

“When you walk down Palace Street and into Northgate you think of it as a commercial area; it’s got shops, it looks quite commercial, when in fact this is the most densely populated part of the city of all – within about 30 yards you’ve got about fifty flats,” he added.

However, Mr Farook argued “we haven’t had any objections from residents in the immediate vicinity”.

Cllr Dixey also attended to object, claiming the bid “will create a dangerous precedent - it will be the thin end of the wedge undermining our policy on core hours”.

The venue was granted permission from CCC’s licensing sub-committee to open as a restaurant until 11.30pm Sunday-Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

From Sunday to Thursday, after closing for sit-down meals, the eatery will run deliveries until 2am, and on Fridays and Saturdays can deliver until 4am.

Permission was granted in March for renovations to the Grade II-Listed building which will host the restaurant.