Westminster City Council has granted a licence to Taco Bell on Edgware Road to extend its operating hours until 5am, despite objections from the Metropolitan Police and Environmental Health Services.
The fast-food chain, located at 346-348 Edgware Road, will now be permitted to serve late-night refreshment from 11pm to 5am seven days a week, an extension from its previous 3am closing time. The Metropolitan Police had raised concerns that There is insufficient detail contained within the operating schedule to promote the licensing objectives,
and noted that The hours sought exceed Westminster's Core Hours Policy
.
Environmental Health Services also voiced concerns, stating that The provision of Late-Night Refreshment and the hours requested will have the likely effect of causing an increase in Public Nuisance in the area and may impact upon Public Safety.
They also noted that Additional conditions will be proposed following a site visit.
However, Taco Time Limited, part of the Adil Group, presented evidence including a noise impact assessment and expert witness statements. The noise impact assessment conducted by Sharps Acoustics LLP concluded that As a result of this study, the noise level difference which occurs due to the opening of the store between 0300 and 0500 hours is so low that it cannot be measured. It is therefore less than 0 dB and, according to national and local policy and relevant guidance, there would be no adverse effects due to noise as a result of the proposed change in hours of opening of the store.
Taco Time Limited also highlighted their experience operating late-night venues across the UK without licence reviews. They detailed numerous voluntary conditions added to their operating schedule, such as an hourly litter pick and keeping windows and doors closed after 11pm. These included a comprehensive CCTV system, an incident log, a No Open Alcohol Containers
policy, signage stating that anti-social behaviour or disorder will not be tolerated, a direct telephone number for the manager being publicly available, all staff trained on induction and every 6 months in conflict management, a Staffsafe™ system with audio and visual monitoring, and signage stating StaffSafe antisocial behaviour monitoring system is in place and operating
.
Further conditions offered by the applicant included the prevention of public access to hot food and preparation areas, no noise or vibration emanating from the premises, no waste or recyclable materials moved outside between 23:00 and 08:00, clear instructions to delivery drivers, a copy of the premises' dispersal policy being available, no collections of waste or recycling materials between 23:00 and 08:00, no fumes, steam or odours emitted from the premises, and all front of house staff to undergo welfare and vulnerability engagement training including 'Ask for Angela'.
The committee decided to grant the licence as applied for, subject to the proposed conditions. This decision was made despite the objections due to Taco Time Limited's extensive experience operating late-night venues across the UK without licence reviews, the lack of objections from local residents, the premises not being located within a cumulative impact area or special consideration zone, and the fact that the premises had operated without incident until 3 am for three and a half years. The applicant also offered additional conditions, such as a risk assessment regarding SIA door supervisors and a bespoke litter picking condition. Expert evidence indicated negligible noise impact, and the committee noted the applicant's strong track record.
The full details of the licensing application and committee report can be found in the Public reports pack.
