A NEWPORT fish and chips shop will not have its opening hours extended after an impassioned speech from an “overwhelmed” neighbour.

The Pie Corner Fish Bar in High Cross Lane, Rogerstone, had hoped to open the business between noon and 9pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

Currently it is restricted to operating between 5pm and 8pm on those days, meaning they wanted to open five hours earlier and stay open for an hour longer.

The hours had been granted as conditions in 2011 when the building was converted from a pharmacy into its current use.

But Newport City Council’s planning committee heard on Wednesday that more fumes from the shop would affect the quality of life of a resident and her family.

The resident, who lives opposite the shop, said at the meeting: “I've been a resident for the last 22 years and for the last seven years I’ve been affected by the frequent smell of fish and cooking fat originating from the premises.

“The cooking oil does linger around the property. This is overwhelming and very unpleasant.

“I cannot comfortably open windows or sit in the garden whilst the premises were open.”

The resident accepted that Pie Corner Fish Bar had a business to run but said they have “plenty of opportunity” to do so within the agreed hours.

She added: “We as a family lead a very healthy lifestyle and to smell cooking fat in bedrooms and around the house on a regular basis is offensive and upsetting.

“I do not feel it is unreasonable to enjoy the amenities of my own home. I have to stand up for what is right and fair for my family.”

The committee heard that the resident had lodged a complaint with the council’s environmental health team about the adequacy of the chip shop’s extraction system.

The resident’s plea was supported her local councillor, Labour's Yvonne Forsey, and committee members.

Labour councillor Jason Clarke said: “Sometimes you get so involved in the planning side you forget about the personal side to it. After listening to that, I feel quite passionate.”

Conservative councillor Val Dudley questioned why officers would grant the original conditions if the emissions were not regularly tested.

Planning officer Geraint Roberts said enforcement would come under environmental health, not planning.

“It can be very difficult for an enforcement officer to know whether or not a condition has been technically complied with,” he added.

“[Conditions are in place] to ensure that they install [the extraction system] in the very first instance.”

When asked about a lack of monitoring, Mr Roberts said: “It is akin to saying to somebody put a roof on your house and fix any holes that appear in it. It would be a nonsense.”

A proposal by Labour councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi to refuse the application to protect the amenities of residents from odour and litter generation was approved by the committee.