A hearing was held to consider residents’ objections to the plans
Residents have objected to a South London KFC’s plans to stay open as late as 2am for deliveries. People living near the fast food outlet in Chessington raised concerns noise from delivery drivers’ mopeds would disturb their sleep into the early hours.
The venue, on North Parade, applied to stay open until 1am on Mondays to Thursdays, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, with the application by operator K&Z Newhaven Ltd receiving 15 objections overall. It would only be open for deliveries after 11pm.
Objectors told Kingston Council’s licensing hearing today (August 13) most delivery drivers arrived at the branch on noisy mopeds, which would cause a nuisance at night when the area was very quiet.
Lib Dem councillor Joanne Barker said: “You can’t guarantee that people are not turning up to this premises on mopeds… you can’t guarantee it’s electric vehicles and, as I say, this place is absolutely pin-drop quiet at night.”
Resident David Williams said: “It’s after 11pm in that area when, as Councillor Barker said, it does go very, very quiet and any disturbance in the street as well is very, very noticeable if you’re a resident and trying to sleep.”
He added: “I can tell you that it’s mostly mopeds and scooters and they are a scourge in the daytime, the noise from these things. In the night-time it will be awful, and to be honest I think I’d look at moving away if that’s how it goes.”
Lawyer Piers Warne, representing the applicant, said the branch only expected a small number of delivery drivers at night, who would be able to leave quicker than in the daytime and were increasingly using quieter electric vehicles.
He said: “We appreciate obviously that there will be some limited noise on occasions, but the frequency of pick-ups, the increased use of electric vehicles and the code of conduct, we would submit, would not amount to a public nuisance in the sense that we need to think about it for the licensing objectives.”
Mr Warne said the venue had not received any complaints when it had temporary permission to stay open until 2am for deliveries on nights in June and July.
He added: “This is a very robust operating schedule. It offers significant protections, not just during the hours of licence but at other times.”
Responsible authorities did not object to the application.
The committee’s decision on the application will be published in the coming days.
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