The mayor of Merton has stepped in to oppose plans to open an outside eating area at a restaurant previously the site of a bitter row over noise complaints.
Hot Pink Grill on the Broadway, Wimbledon was previously home to restaurant Reds which illegally operated a beer garden between in 2002 and 2005.
The mayor of Merton, Councillor Krystal Miller, said Reds' beer garden caused a raft of complaints by residents who were forced to tolerate "unbearable" noise levels.
Eventually the council was able to shut the garden down and enforced a condition that there should be no outside eating or drinking areas on the site.
However fresh concerns have been raised after Hot Pink tweeted a photo of their newly refurbished garden space despite not yet receiving planning permission.
Coun Miller, who also represents Trinity ward in Wimbledon town centre, immediately attacked the restaurant and tweeted "Hot Pink on Wimbledon Broadway don't have planning for a beer garden but built one anyway".
She said: "Reds had a beer garden between 2003 and 2007 but they never had permission for it.
"Residents were up in arms and campaigned and tried to get it shut down.
"Hot Pink have submitted a planning application retrospectively but they are obviously assuming they will get permission.
"Although it’s on the Broadway it backs onto people’s gardens and homes and it is just not fair on residents that live around there to expect them to tolerate lots of noise and drinking."
Hot Pink Grill owner Dipak Panchal defended the plans for an outside dining area which would not be used after 8pm .
Mr Panchal said: "We have finished works to improve the rear area but we are not trading until such time as we receive planning permission.
"The premises operates strictly as a restaurant and we have no intention of opening a beer garden.
"We have carefully considered our resident's concerns and have offered various conditions and modest hours with our planning application to prevent the garden being used in this way."
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