A new dessert shop, Dr Dessert, has been granted a licence to operate despite significant concerns raised by local residents and ward panels regarding potential noise and disturbance from late-night delivery operations.
The Hammersmith and Fulham Licensing Sub-Committee approved the premises licence for Dr Dessert, located at 174 Wandsworth Bridge Road, London, SW6 2UQ. The licence permits late-night refreshment outdoors from 11:00 PM to midnight Sunday to Thursday, and 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. The premises will be open to the public until 11:00 PM daily.
Dr Dessert will be offering 'warm or hot desserts and drinks alongside other cold or chilled fayre, for home delivery only.' The application specifies that 'No sale of alcohol or onsite dining is entailed in this entire application.'
Objectors, including the Walham Green Ward Panel and Barclay Road Neighbourhood Watch, had raised concerns about the impact of delivery drivers congregating outside the premises and the associated noise and litter during late-night hours. They argued that the proposed conditions were not sufficiently enforceable and that extending operating hours would negatively affect residents' amenity, particularly given the predominantly residential nature of Wandsworth Bridge Road and surrounding streets.
The Simplex modelling data identified Wandsworth Bridge Road as one of only 24 heavily impacted streets within the borough, accounting for a disproportionately high share of environmental nuisance, anti-social behaviour, litter, and recorded crime. Specifically, it suffers:
- 38% of all environmental nuisance complaints across the borough.
- Nearly 37% of all anti-social behaviour call-outs borough-wide.
- 30% of all litter and detritus complaints borough-wide.
- Just under one-third, or 33%, of all documented crime in Hammersmith & Fulham.
Residents argued that extending operating hours would exacerbate these existing issues. However, the committee ultimately decided that the agreed conditions were sufficient to promote the licensing objectives.
Despite these objections, the committee granted the licence with eight conditions agreed with the Noise and Nuisance Team and six conditions agreed with the Police Licensing Team. These conditions include measures for delivery management, staff monitoring, litter patrols, and the display of prominent signage.
The 'delivery management' condition includes several measures aimed at preventing drivers from congregating and ensuring they respect neighboring residents. These include:
- Delivery Management Policy: A written policy is to be maintained and implemented, prioritizing deliveries via bicycles or electric bicycles where available.
- Arrival Notification: Drivers are instructed to arrive only when their order is ready for collection to minimize waiting times.
- Monitoring and Intervention: Staff are to actively monitor outside areas and delivery drivers to ensure they respect residents and do not congregate. If a driver causes disturbance or fails to follow instructions, they will be asked to leave immediately. The premises may cancel the collection, request an alternative driver, and report the offending driver to the delivery platform.
- Signage: Clear signage will be displayed at the premises, including entrances/exits, requesting drivers and customers to keep noise to a minimum and leave the area quietly.
- Staffing: At least two members of staff will remain on-site during the late-night delivery period to prepare orders, manage collections, and monitor activity outside the premises.
- Staff Departure: Licensee and/or management will ensure staff leave the premises quietly and are reminded to respect neighboring residents.
- Litter Patrols: A responsible staff member will conduct proactive litter patrols outside the premises at least three times throughout opening hours and specifically at the end of trading hours to collect any litter associated with the premises.
- Waste Disposal Signage: Signs will be prominently displayed at exits asking patrons to dispose of their waste in litter bins.
- Incident Recording: A system will be in place to record and respond to incidents involving delivery drivers, with appropriate remedial action taken without delay.
- Collection Point: A designated short-stay collection point will be provided for immediate collection only.
These measures aim to prevent congregation by minimizing waiting times, actively monitoring driver behavior, and reporting non-compliant drivers. The signage and litter patrols are intended to encourage respectful conduct and maintain the cleanliness of the surrounding area.
It is impossible to gauge the exact volume of deliveries at this time, but the applicant anticipates a low volume after 23:00. They expect a maximum of 1-3 delivery drivers to attend the premises at any one time on weekdays and 3-5 drivers at any one time on Fridays and Saturdays during busier periods. The majority of deliveries are expected to be undertaken by bicycle or electric bicycle riders, with some scooter riders depending on the delivery platform.
The effectiveness of the agreed-upon conditions will be monitored by authorized officers of the Licensing Authority and the Police. The conditions themselves outline some monitoring mechanisms, such as:
- Record Keeping: Written records of proactive external litter patrols are to be kept for a minimum of 31 days and made available for inspection by authorized officers.
- CCTV: High-definition CCTV is to be installed and maintained, with recordings stored for a minimum of 31 days and footage provided to Police or authorized officers within 24 hours of a request. A staff member conversant with the CCTV system must be on the premises to show footage with minimal delay.
- Incident Log: A daily incident log is to be kept and made available on request to authorized officers, recording crimes, ejections, complaints, disorder, seizures, CCTV faults, refusals of alcohol sales, and visits by authorities.
Consequences for breaching licensing conditions are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but the Licensing Act 2003 states that failure to comply with any condition attached to a licence is a criminal offence, punishable by an unlimited fine or up to six months' imprisonment. The document also mentions that the Licensing Sub-Committee has the power to modify conditions, exclude licensable activities, remove the Designated Premises Supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months, or revoke the licence.
If the applicant or any person who has made a relevant representation is unhappy with the decision, they are entitled to appeal to the magistrates' court within 21 days from the date of notification of the full decision. Additionally, the Licensing Act 2003 allows for a review of a premises licence at any stage if a Responsible Authority or 'Other Person' alleges that the licensing objectives are not being promoted and provides evidence to show this. During a review hearing, the subcommittee may modify conditions, exclude licensable activities, remove the Designated Premises Supervisor, suspend the licence, or revoke the licence. The full decision can be found in the Decisions 09th Sep 2026 18:30 Licensing Sub-Committee document.
