A popular falafel stall has had its street trading licence renewed by Kingston Council for a further three years, despite an objection from the Metropolitan Police. The licence for Falafel and Halloumi, located on New Malden High Street, was renewed after a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing.
The Metropolitan Police had raised an objection to the renewal, citing an alleged serious assault involving the licence holder, Bilal Al-Zaamut. This concern questioned whether the applicant met the suitability requirements for a licence under Section 25(6)(b) of the London Local Authorities Act 1990.
According to the council's procedures, when an application receives relevant objections, the case is referred to a Licensing Sub-committee hearing for determination. Both the applicant and any objectors are given the opportunity to speak at the hearing. The Metropolitan Police submitted a representation objecting to the application, which led to the case being considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee.
However, the Licensing Sub-Committee heard representations from the applicant, who presented 101 emails of support from customers. These testimonials highlighted the quality of the food, the friendly service, and the positive contribution the stall makes to the New Malden community.
In its decision, the committee resolved to grant the licence renewal, subject to standard conditions for street trading and additional agreed conditions. These include the requirement for the occupied paving area to be washed weekly and for protective flooring to be placed on the paving within the gazebo during operational hours.
The stall has been trading from its current location since February 2022 and has held a permanent licence since August 2022. The proposed trading hours are Monday to Saturday, from 09:00 to 18:00.
