The Licensing Sub-Committee is scheduled to convene to consider an application for a variation of a premises licence for KFC, 21-23 Kew Road in Richmond, as well as to approve the minutes of their previous meeting. The committee will also note the procedure to be followed during the hearing.

KFC, 21-23 Kew Road Licensing Application

The central item for consideration is an application to vary the premises licence for the KFC restaurant located at 21-23 Kew Road in Richmond. Currently, the restaurant is licensed to provide late night refreshment until midnight on Fridays and 1am on Saturdays. The applicant, CM Restaurants Ltd, is seeking to extend the terminal hour for late night refreshment on Friday mornings (following on from Thursday evening) to 1am.

The report pack includes a written submission on behalf of the applicant, stating that the representations received have not cited any incidents of crime, disorder or public nuisance attributable to the venue. The applicant also highlights that there have been no objections from the Police or Environmental Protection team.

The applicant's submission states that the premises has traded until 1 am on Saturday evening (Sunday morning) for 205 consecutive weeks without incident, and that this should be seen as cogent evidence that the premises can trade without undermining the Licensing objectives or exacerbating the cumulative impact of premises in the area.

The applicant's submission references a recent update to guidance, stating:

When making licensing decisions, all licensing authorities should consider the need to promote growth and deliver economic benefits.

The report pack also includes representations from two local residents' associations, Friends of Richmond Green and The Richmond Society, objecting to the application. The associations express concerns about the potential impact on the licensing objectives and the Cumulative Impact Zone¹.

Friends of Richmond Green state that the applicant has made no attempt to satisfy the burden of proof placed upon applicants to demonstrate that there are no risks to the four licensing objectives² and has also failed to address the evidence supporting the Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP)³.

The Richmond Society state that the granting of the requested additional hours would result in an unacceptable impact on those living, visiting, and working in Richmond, and that such an extension to the hours of trading would not wholly satisfy two of the Act's licensing objectives - the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance.

The Licensing Sub-Committee is reminded that the premises is located within the Cumulative Impact Area for Richmond Town Centre, and that the Licensing Authority considers that the number of licensed premises in the Cumulative Impact Area is such that is likely that granting further licences would be inconsistent with the authority's duty to promote the licensing objectives.

The Sub-Committee is asked to consider whether the applicant can demonstrate that there will be no adverse effect on the cumulative impact.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Licensing Sub-Committee will consider the minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2025. The previous meeting included discussion of an application for a new premises licence for AK Pizza London Ltd T/A Caprinos, located at 160 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen. After careful consideration of all written and oral evidence presented, the Sub-Committee agreed to grant the licence with conditions.