The Nag’s Head covered market owner has resurrected a controversial bid to sell alcohol in its new first floor food hall – and neighbours are “not impressed”.

Satpal Sethi is asking, again, for a licence to sell booze in the Upper Place food hall above the bustling covered market in Seven Sisters Road, which is set to open in June.

A similar bid was knocked back by the licensing committee in February due to concerns over noise, litter and anti-social behaviour - but the latest application offers some concessions, such as not selling drinks after 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10.30pm on Friday an Saturday, and reducing the capacity from 430 to 250 punters. The ground floor is no longer included in the application.

Mr Sethi, who's owned the market since 2005, said: "This is strictly about being able to have a drink with your meal, so what we're asking for from the council is very modest. No late nights. No big crowds. Our only business is serving fantastic food."

The leaseholder recently suggested neighbours could get a 20 per cent discount on food at the Upper Place. And Mr Sethi now argues the street food venture will support existing traders through extra footfall, but can only be commercially viable if customers can have a drink with their food.

The original proposal, which provoked 37 representations and a petition opposing the licence with 219 signatures, was to sell drinks until 12.30am.

"I don't believe the applicant has learned anything following the last application," said Cllr Gary Heather (Lab, Finsbury Park).

"Residents are extremely angry about the application to sell alcohol given that it's in the cumulative impact area. I'm not impressed. It's the same show, they have just withdrawn the ground floor."

He says things are already "really bad" for neighbours owing to the proliferation of Uber Eats drivers congregating around the market, some of whom he claims to seen driving the wrong way up Hertslet Road.

An Uber Eats spokesperson said: "The alleged behaviour is unacceptable. There is no place for anti-social behaviour in our communities. We are in touch with Islington Council to work to resolve this issue."

Mr Sethi has also submitted a retrospective planning application asking to keep an external staircase, a meter access door, storage containers and a ventilation system.