A Plymouth city centre McDonalds restaurant wants to open for 24 hours a day all week.

The company has applied to Plymouth City Council to remove a planning condition which restricts its Sunday to Wednesday opening at 100 New George Street to midnight.

McDonalds currently has permission to open for 24 hours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The planning condition was put in place to protect “the residential and general amenity of the area from any harmfully polluting effects, including noise and disturbance likely to be caused by persons arriving at and leaving the premises”.

Planning agents Savills said in documents to Plymouth City Council that being within the city’s primary shopping area, there were high levels of footfall throughout the day and night. There was a vibrant mix of retail, leisure and food and drink uses, alongside an established evening and night-time economy.

“As such, a level of late-night activity and background noise is already part of the character of the area,” they said.

Since the restaurant opened in 1997, its opening hours had been extended on a number of occasions. A decade ago the 6am to 2am opening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays was extended to 24 hours.

“The restaurant has been operating on a 24 hour basis for three days a week for approximately ten years,” continued Savills. “During the past decade, no notable complaints or issues have been recorded. This provides clear evidence that 24 hour trading can take place without adverse impact.

“Moreover, there are no immediately adjacent residential dwellings, and the surrounding area is predominantly commercial in character. The proposal is therefore appropriate in its setting.”

They added that late-night customers were expected to be drawn from existing footfall within the city centre, meaning the proposal would not create additional demand, but instead provide a well-lit, supervised space that could “contribute positively to safety and natural surveillance in the area”.

Plymouth City Council’s planning department will discuss the application at a future meeting.