A Westminster Council sub-committee is set to decide on a late-night licence application for a Taco Bell on Baker Street, following objections from local residents, the Metropolitan Police, and the Environmental Health Service.

The Licensing Sub-Committee (2), comprised of Councillor Maggie Carman, Deputy Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Supported and Specialist Housing, Councillor Barbara Arzymanow, and Councillor Hamza Taouzzale, will consider the application for the Taco Bell at 187 Baker Street. The applicant, Karali QSR Limited, seeks to operate as a fast food restaurant with late-night refreshment services in an area with over 1,000 residential dwellings within 150m of the premises, according to a residential map included in the public reports pack.

If granted, the licence would permit:

  • Late Night Refreshment (indoors and outdoors): Monday to Sunday, 23:00 to 04:00
  • Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 04:00

Objections

Maxwell Koduah, representing the Environmental Health Service, has raised concerns that the application conflicts with Westminster Council's licensing policy, specifically Fast-Food Policy FFP1 and Restaurants Policy RNT1. Koduah stated that the application was presented as both a Mexican restaurant and fast food, which triggers these policies. He also noted an inconsistency between the hours sought in the application and the home delivery policy, which he believed could increase public nuisance and impact public safety. Koduah also suggested several conditions to be added if the application was granted, including stringent noise and odour control measures, restrictions on deliveries, and responsible waste disposal practices.

The specific conditions proposed by the Environmental Health Service are:

  1. No noise generated on the premises, or by its associated plant or equipment, shall emanate from the premises nor vibration be transmitted through the structure of the premises which gives rise to a nuisance.
  2. No fumes, steam or odours shall be emitted from the licensed premises so as to cause a nuisance to any persons living or carrying on business in the area where the premises are situated.
  3. No deliveries to the premises shall take place between 23.00 and 08.00 hours on the following day.
  4. No waste or recyclable materials, including bottles, shall be moved, removed from or placed in outside areas between 23.00 hours and 08.00 hours on the following day.
  5. All waste shall be properly presented and placed out for collection no earlier than 30 minutes before the scheduled collection times.
  6. No collections of waste or recycling materials (including bottles) from the premises shall take place between 23.00 and 08.00 hours on the following day.
  7. The premises Licence Holder shall ensure that riders/drivers will not be permitted to congregate in the immediate vicinity of the premises.
  8. The premises Licence Holder shall ensure that riders/drivers will not be permitted to smoke in the immediate vicinity of the premises.
  9. Deliveries shall only be made to a bonafide residential or business addresses.
  10. During the hours of operation of the premises, the licence holder shall ensure sufficient measures are in place to remove and prevent litter or waste arising or accumulating from customers in the area immediately outside the premises, and that this area shall be swept and or washed, and litter and sweepings collected and stored in accordance with the approved refuse storage arrangements by close of business.
  11. Members of the public shall not be permitted on the premises after 23:00 hours Monday to Sunday.
  12. Delivery drivers shall be given clear, written instructions to use their vehicles in a responsible manner so as not to cause a nuisance to any residents or generally outside the license premises; not to leave engines running when the vehicles are parked; and not to obstruct the highway.
  13. After 23:00, the licence holder shall ensure that delivery driver/riders exclusively use pedal bike, electric bike (or other electric vehicle) only for delivery.
  14. After 23:00 hours, delivery drivers shall always wait inside the premises while waiting to pick up orders.

PC Dave Morgan of the Metropolitan Police Service, objected to the application based on the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance. PC Morgan noted that the hours sought were beyond Westminster Council's Core Hours policy for fast food venues.

According to PC Morgan, Westminster Council's Core Hours policy for fast food venues stipulates the following operating times:

  • Monday to Thursday: 10am to 11.30pm.
  • Friday and Saturday: 10am to 12am.
  • Sunday: 9am to 10.30pm.
  • Sundays immediately prior to a bank holiday: 12pm to 12am.

The Taco Bell application seeks to operate until 4am every day, which significantly exceeds these core hours. PC Dave Morgan stated:

As stated in Westminster Councils Fast Food Policy FFP1, 'venues which are open after 11pm can attract large groups of customers, many of whom have been consuming alcohol in pubs. bars, or night clubs sometimes some distance away. The congregation of people around these premises leads to additional noise and disturbance and further congestion in the area'.

Residents have also voiced their opposition, citing concerns about potential increases in drunken behaviour, noise from delivery drivers, public urination, and intimidation. One resident stated:

The noise generated by large groups of delivery drivers gathering late at night is already a problem. These drivers congregate on Baker Street, playing loud music and engaging in disruptive behaviour long after other fast-food outlets have closed. Allowing Taco Bell to operate until 4am would exacerbate this, encouraging larger gatherings and further contributing to the noise and chaos in our area.

The Metropolitan Police Service provided additional information, including a statement from PC Harman, a Dedicated Ward Officer (DWO) in the Baker Street area, detailing ongoing issues with delivery riders causing crime and anti-social behaviour. The police acknowledged the applicant's proposed home delivery policy but expressed concern that it would not prevent wider issues of riders congregating and causing disturbances away from the venue.

Taco Bell's Response

Taco Bell's home delivery policy states that the restaurant would only trade to members of the public until 23:00, with home delivery services operating between 23:00 and 05:00. After 23:00, the restaurant would operate as a dark kitchen with no public access, signage indicating home delivery only, and reduced lighting and music. The policy also outlines measures for order collections, deliveries, and driver conduct, including the use of electric or pedal vehicles, designated waiting areas inside the restaurant, and reporting procedures for inappropriate behaviour.

The Licensing Sub-Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday 07 August 2025 to discuss the application and consider the objections raised. The public reports pack includes a premises history, proposed conditions, and a residential map showing over 1,000 residential dwellings within 150m of the premises.