A decision on a licence application for a KFC restaurant in Chessington has been deferred by Kingston Council's Licensing Sub-Committee due to significant concerns raised by residents and local councillors.
The committee met on Thursday, August 13, 2026, to consider the application for a new premises licence for KFC at 2-4 North Parade, Chessington. The application sought permission for late-night refreshments from 11pm to 1am Monday to Thursday, and 11pm to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, with the premises operating as a delivery and collection service only after midnight.
Numerous residents and local councillors voiced objections, primarily focusing on the potential for increased noise, litter, and anti-social behaviour in the predominantly residential area. Concerns were raised about noise from delivery vehicles, particularly mopeds, extractor fans, and the general congregation of people late at night.
Councillor Joanne Barker highlighted the lack of public transport at night and the potential for noise from extractor fans. David Williams expressed worries about moped noise and the realism of staff confronting riders. Veronica Whitehead mentioned the smell of KFC and noise from extractor fans, while Stella Graham presented video footage questioning the applicant's assurances about late-night operations. Graham's footage, from the World Cup period, showed lights on and a driver collecting at 1:39 am, which she used to question the applicant's assurances about the premises appearing closed and customer access after midnight. She also noted that the late material was received late, not giving her enough time to review it, and that the proposed conditions about dimmed lighting and no customer access were not reflected in her footage.
Rochelle Cook echoed concerns about litter, noise, and the necessity of late-night operation in the area. Councillor James Giles, a local ward councillor, requested significant restrictions if the licence were granted, including no late-night refreshment beyond 11pm on most nights and a mandatory delivery management plan.
Representations from the Metropolitan Police regarding crime and disorder were initially made but later withdrawn after the applicant agreed to revised conditions. For the KFC application, the Metropolitan Police withdrew their representations following mediation and agreement on revised conditions, which were shared as late material and superseded the initially proposed conditions on Annex 3 of the report. However, 15 valid representations were received from other persons, citing concerns related to the prevention of crime and disorder, and the prevention of public nuisance.
Piers Warren, representing the applicant K & Z Newhaven Limited, explained that the application was for delivery only after 11pm, with no customers permitted on the premises after this time. He highlighted a robust operating schedule with 26 conditions, including special late-night training, dispersal management, and delivery drivers waiting inside the premises. Additionally, internal foyer lights would be dimmed after 11 pm to make the premises appear closed. These conditions were intended to address residents' concerns regarding noise from delivery vehicles, extractor fans, litter, and potential anti-social behaviour. The applicant also mentioned a 'barring system for drivers' where aggregator companies have a button to bar individual drivers for misconduct. If drivers do not comply with the code of conduct, they can be barred, which has serious effects on their ability to work. The applicant stated that if drivers are barred by a number of premises, the aggregators will not let them work. This system is enforced by the aggregator companies based on reports of misconduct from the premises.
The subcommittee heard from the applicant's team, who addressed concerns about noise, litter, and the management of delivery drivers. They stated that the proposed conditions and a barring system for drivers would mitigate issues. The applicant also noted that they were upgrading carbon filters to address smell concerns. During the closing statements, the applicant's team confirmed that their clients had upgraded the carbon filters, which are cleaned every three months. They expected this to address any smell from extraction, and that smells from customers with open food boxes would not be an issue as the premises would not be open to customers later at night.
The council's Statement of Licensing Policy includes guidelines on trading hours and states that the authority will consider the impact on residents, particularly concerning noise nuisance, anti-social behaviour, and cumulative impact in residential areas. The policy also notes that 'When dealing with new applications, the Licensing Authority will give more favourite consideration to applications with the opening and closing times in line with those detailed in the Statement of Licensing Policy.' For late-night refreshment takeaways, the guideline hours are 23:00 to 00:00 Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 23:00 to 02:00 on Friday and Saturday. The policy also notes that 'noise surveys carried out across the borough have consistently indicated that ambient noise levels fall from around 23:00 hours.' For Pepe's Piri Piri, the agent stated that the amended hours were aligned with other establishments in the area. Examples given were L Curry Local (until 1 am), Chicken King (until 2 am), Band of Burgers (until 3 am), and ALB Lounge (until midnight). The meeting information for KFC in Chessington stated that there were no other licensed venues with late-night refreshment licenses within that specific parade of shops, though a pub was mentioned as being further down the road.
Following deliberation, the subcommittee indicated that they would communicate their decision via email later that day, with full details and reasons to follow within five working days. The decision on the KFC application was therefore deferred.
