A pizzeria which claimed it lost 30% of its business following a move is asking to extend its opening hours.

Bella Pizza in Caernarfon recently moved the short distance from Bridge Street to the Hole in the Wall Street.

The change meant new planning conditions attached to the business operation reducing how long it could stay open.

Rebecca Owen had applied to the council for the conditions on the business to be removed. She had said it caused “huge losses” and meant it was now “missing out on a lot of orders”.

And the business has now applied for a premises licence for a food establishment designed for takeaway, in a bid to extend its operating hours.

The application relates to opening hours, and provision of late night refreshment off the premises until midnight between Sunday and Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday.

It will be decided at Cyngor Gwynedd’s central licensing sub-committee meeting on Wednesday, August 13. A report had noted that objections had come from the Environmental Health (Public Protection Service) at the council.

Its “primary concerns” related to the proximity of the premises to nearby residential properties. “While there are other licensed premises nearby (including pubs), the service notes that cumulative impact must be considered,” the service had said.

“The introduction of a late-night takeaway could increase footfall and late-night activity in the area, particularly noise from customers leaving or gathering outside the premises, as well as from food deliveries and pick-ups.”

It had also pointed out that “once customers leave the premises, the applicant has limited ability to control associated noise which could disturb residents”.

It noted that a planning condition had required the premises to close at 11pm, with any later opening currently permitted only under Temporary Event Notices.

There was also “no specific details provided” regarding ventilation and extraction systems, which could “contribute to noise or odour concerns”.

The officer had also noted in their report that the business was “in breach of a current retrospective planning permission, granted in 2024”.

This was regarding a retrospective change of use from a shop to a mixed use site, which “states that details of any extractor units, fans or associated equipment shall be submitted to and approved by the local planning authority prior to their installation if the property changes ownership”.

It adds: “The equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with the details as agreed.”

Overall, the service concluded that regular opening until 2am “may significantly increase noise levels and disturbance in an otherwise quiet residential area and could undermine the objective of preventing public nuisance”.

The council’s planning service had initially objected to extending the hours, as the premise was subject to a planning condition limiting operation between 8am and 11pm, Monday-Sunday.

At the time of their response, a planning application to amend these hours had been submitted but was not yet valid. Since then, the application has been validated and was under consideration.

“It should be noted that the hours requested under the planning application extend only until 1am,” the report said.

In response, the applicant had also proposed reducing the operating hours by one hour, and had also highlighted a conflict with the existing planning permission.

The business also proposes to use 16 cameras, internally and externally, employ staff trained in dealing with unpleasant/drunk and disorderly customers, to use two large flood lights on the building front, have staff ensure that customers do not crowd outside, and to clean the “whole way up the street” after closing.

One objecting member of the public raised concerns over the potential for increased public disturbance and anti-social behaviour.

They felt there were “risks to public safety” due to the narrow and busy pedestrian route, and that access for emergency services if needed at night could prove “problematic”.

They also had concerns about “a negative impact” on a historic location, and the “exacerbation of existing litter issues”.

North Wales Police gave no objection, stating there was “no evidence of crime or disorder directly associated with the premises”.

Caernarfon Town Council unanimously supported the application, acknowledging that the premises neither sold alcohol nor played music, and actively discouraged on-street parking.

“The applicant has also demonstrated a commitment to being a responsible neighbour through measures such as CCTV monitoring and regular street cleaning,” it said.

It had noted that the shop signage was “not consistent” with the overall appearance of the street.

The committee was told in the report if it was “inclined to approve” it should recommend conditions requiring door security included on the licence, and that the approval aligns with the planning application.