A fast-food restaurant in a “highly residential” part of Southampton has tabled plans to offer a 24-hour drive-thru service.

Burger King wants to extend its operating hours at the site in Burgess Road, Swaythling.

The business is currently open to in-store and drive-thru customers from 9am to 11pm seven days a week.

A premises licence application has been submitted to Southampton City Council as permission is needed to sell hot food and drinks from 11pm to 5am.

The application for late-night refreshment says the restaurant wants to operate 24 hours a day.

Burger King said the internal restaurant would be closed from 11pm, with overnight sales only taking place through the drive-thru facility.

A spokesperson for the fast-food business said: “At Burger King UK, we’re always looking for ways to develop and strengthen our offering for our customers, which includes increasing our service hours.

“We know customers in Southampton value convenience, and we’re therefore in the ongoing process of exploring this option.

“We are considering all factors that come with a 24-hour service, balancing customer convenience with the needs of the local community, to ensure our customers have the very best experience possible”

The application to the local authority’s licensing department, which was submitted on August 12, has attracted an objection from ward councillor and leader of the council Lorna Fielker.

She said: “I am minded to object to this licence due to the restaurant being in a highly residential area and it is not in keeping with the closing hours of other takeaway outlets in the vicinity.

“If it [the licensing department] is minded to approve a licence I would like to request that a condition of the licence is that the outdoor seating is removed to reduce noise associated with the hours of operation.

“The use of the outdoor seating area post 11pm by delivery drivers waiting to collect, or staff members on breaks, particularly through the warm summer months, would create noise which would disturb local residents.”

The public consultation on the premises licence application closes on Monday, September 9.