Unilever's Kingston office, Sunlight House, has been granted a licence to sell alcohol, despite concerns raised by a local resident about potential noise and public nuisance. The application for the premises at 22 Eden Street was considered by Kingston upon Thames Council's Licensing Sub-Committee on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
The licence, sought by Sodexo Ltd on behalf of Unilever UK, permits the sale of alcohol from Monday to Sunday, between 8 am and 11 pm, for both on and off-site consumption. The typical number of attendees for events at Sunlight House is estimated to be between 50 to 100 persons, though the applicant mentioned that several hundred visiting sites every day for the purpose of work
could be present.
Nikki Bentley, the Licensing Officer, informed the committee that while no representations were received from responsible authorities, one objection was lodged by a local resident, Mr. Zhao. Mr. Zhao's concerns centred on potential congestion around bus stops and pavements, obstruction to pedestrian movement, increased noise levels during late evening periods, and event-related traffic and parking issues.
Chris Gunnett, representing the applicant, highlighted that the application mirrored the existing licence for Unilever's former premises at 3 St. James's Road, which had operated for over 20 years without complaints. He emphasised that alcohol sales would be strictly limited to Unilever's employees and their guests. Mr. Gunnett addressed concerns about congestion, stating that any issues at bus stops would not be solely due to the licence, as it is a central location with many employees. He added that the bus stops are available to everyone and would be utilised by Unilever's staff. The applicant's team also highlighted their 20 years of operational experience with no complaints
at a previous site. Furthermore, they proposed effective dispersal strategies for attendees at the end of events
and measures to prevent crowding or obstruction near bus stops and key pedestrian routes
as potential safeguards.
Regarding off-site alcohol consumption, 'corporate premises' for Unilever UK include other non-licensed areas of the building or other corporate premises of Unilever.
Sodexo Ltd's catering services will manage the alcohol supply to these areas. The applicant also stated that People exiting the building visibly carrying open glasses would be challenged by our security team on that point.
They further noted that in the workplace, we're all subject to various conventions and rules, etc, which are properly dealt with through HR and matters of that nature.
The primary reason for the off-sales provision was to allow attendees to take a drink back to their desk with them if they wished.
Councillor Peter Higgins, Chair of the subcommittee, questioned the mitigations in place for individuals leaving the building after consuming alcohol. Mr. Gunnett responded that the building has 24-hour security, and everybody exiting through the building will exit through our reception area.
Security is responsible for monitoring the venue, its curtilage, and the immediate area. He reiterated that People exiting the building visibly carrying open glasses would be challenged by our security team on that point.
In case of a disturbance, security is expected to monitor that and if necessary call authorities.
The applicant described the events as typically sober networking occasions with one or two drinks,
clarifying that They're rather sober events and so far as they're networking events. It's normally one or two drinks. They're not celebrating matters.
These events are planned to occur a few times a month, probably not every week.
Despite Mr. Zhao's concerns, the subcommittee noted the applicant's 20-year track record of no complaints at the previous site and the limited nature of the proposed sales. Unilever UK would have internal HR processes for any staff misconduct, and for general issues, the applicant's representative stated, if it needed reporting to authorities, would report to it and deal with it appropriately.
Read the full public reports pack here: Public reports pack Tuesday 26-May-2026 09.45 Licensing Sub-Committee
The subcommittee withdrew to make its decision, which was subsequently confirmed by email.
