A NEW restaurant planned for Brighton Marina has been granted a drinks licence by Brighton and Hove City Council after agreeing a deal with Sussex Police.

The force objected to a proposed 2am licence for Al Agha Lounge Middle Eastern restaurant at the Waterfront in Brighton Marina.

And the council’s recently reviewed licensing policy recommended that any new restaurants licensed at the Marina should close no later than midnight.

The applicant, Heman Rasul, agreed to stop serving alcohol at 11.30pm and to close at midnight in line with a suggestion made by Sussex Police.

They reached an agreement before a council licensing panel hearing that was due to take place last Wednesday.

Al Agha Lounge is a 150-seat restaurant on the first floor of the Waterfront building that previously housed the Blue Mango Indian restaurant.

Blue Mango was linked with the disgraced owners of Jimmy’s, a restaurant on the ground floor of the Waterfront building, which closed suddenly five years ago.

The owners left a number of unpaid bills and owed the council £200,000 in business rates.