A CLANFIELD restaurant will be sounded out by environmental health officers before a licensing D-day.
East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) is to investigate noise levels in and around Kassia before deciding whether the venue should keep its licence.
The restaurant is facing a battle as the council has received a series of complaints from surrounding residents about evening noise levels.
The complaints cover a period from April 2009 to November 2018 while Clanfield Parish Council has also confirmed it has received numerous communications from residents about the same issue.
A decision was due to be made in January but members of EHDC’s sub-licensing committee agreed to adjourn so an acoustic assessment could be compiled.
The assessment, which will be carried out by a "suitably qualified acoustics consultant", will look at sound levels in the Drift Road building and their impact on the flats above.
Although not an official recommendation, the committee also suggested there should be more dialogue between restaurant staff and affected residents.
A spokesman for EHDC said: "The committee suggested the proprietors meet the residents for mediation.
"This would normally involve a member of EHDC’s licensing team arbitrating as the two sides discuss the issues."
The hearing is due to take place in the EHDC council chamber in Petersfield on March 14.
Members can modify the restaurant’s licence, remove an activity from the licence, remove the named premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months or revoke it entirely.