Kensington and Chelsea Council also accepted a condition from McDonald’s that delivery drivers would not operate from 2am to 5am
McDonald’s on Earl’s Court Road was granted a 24-hour licence(Image: Google)
A McDonald’s on a busy West London high street has been given the green light to operate 24/7 despite strong opposition from residents who warned it will attract more antisocial behaviour (ASB).
Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to a last-minute condition offered by McDonald’s on Earl’s Court Road to ban third-party delivery drivers between 2am and 5am, a council document shows. Customers will still be able to eat in store or purchase a takeaway.
The fast food restaurant also agreed to have at least one bouncer on duty during the early morning hours. The application was criticised by objectors who warned it would attract more drinkers to the area, which is also ready subject to a Public Spaces Protection Order to tackle ASB.
They also feared it would set a precedent and lead to more stores staying open into the early morning hours.
Some 166 objections were lodged against McDonald’s licensing application that sought to extend its hours beyond the existing closing time of 2am every day of the week.
Delivery riders and driver will not be able to collect food between 2am and 5am(Image: Getty Images)
One person wrote: “The council needs to acknowledge that this is residential. We have a Public Spaces Protection Order and the police are only on duty until 11pm so any licence beyond that time must be cancelled immediately and new applications turned down.”
Another wrote: “[This] will increase the amount of people hanging around, drug users, alcoholics, in an area that very much needs help to counter this.”
The application also received two letters of support saying it will create and support jobs locally and help the local night time economy. Both called on strict conditions on delivery drivers, which they claim park dangerously, drive on the wrong side of the street and cause more litter and noise.
McDonald’s said it has systems in place to promote the local licensing objectives. They also promised to hire security guards “when required”, provide staff with mobile panic buttons and to train staff on substance abuse awareness and the legal requirements and restrictions on running 24/7.
The council’s planning department said it had no objections to the application but said allowing McDonald’s to vary its licence would be a breach in planning control. The department said a planning application to run 24 hours a day was refused in December last year because of a condition on the original planning permission limiting usage to between 8am and midnight.
They called for a new planning application to be submitted to address this now the licensing application has been approved.
Got a story? Contact Adrian at adrian.zorzut@reachplc.com
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