Parade Tea Rooms in Southsea is now allowed to keep its kitchen door open

The requirement to keep the Parade Tea Rooms door closed was introduced in 2016 when permission was first granted for the use of the building, in a bid to limit noise and reduce the spread of smells.

A number of complaints have been made against the business for breaching the condition in recent months but it said it was always done 'legitimately' while accepting deliveries or putting out rubbish and that its success meant this was now happening more frequently.

‘When the condition was initially put in it wasn't envisaged that the business would become as successful as it has and the number of times that door is opened and shut daily is extremely high,’ Michael Hogan who represented the cafe at Wednesday's planning committee meeting, said.

He said removing the condition would mean both the business and council need to spend less time investigating complaints.

Committee chairman Lee Hunt, whose proposal saw the condition removed, said he could not see ‘any evidence’ to indicate scrapping the condition would have any negative effects.