The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Thursday 11 June 2026 to consider applications for premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003. The meeting's agenda included discussions on three specific establishments: German Doner Kebab, Chicken Express, and Lebanese Mix Grill.

German Doner Kebab, 222-224 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JX

The committee was scheduled to consider an application to vary the premises licence for German Doner Kebab. The application, submitted by West London Foods Ltd, sought to extend the hours for late-night refreshment and the premises' opening hours. Specifically, the variation requested would allow for late-night refreshment from 23:00 to 02:00 from Sunday to Thursday, and from 23:00 to 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The proposed opening hours would be from 11:00 to 02:00 from Sunday to Thursday, and 11:00 to 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Representations were received from the council's licensing unit and environmental protection team, who contended that the proposed hours exceeded those recommended in the council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ for premises in this area and were not suitable. A local ward councillor also submitted a representation objecting to any extension of operating hours. The report noted that the premises currently operate with late-night refreshment hours until 01:00 on Sundays to Thursdays and 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, having previously had their hours extended in 2025. The premises are located within the Borough and Bankside Cumulative Impact Area².

Chicken Express, 179 Southampton Way, London SE5 7EJ

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Chicken Express. The application, made by Balachandran Nagaraja, sought to permit regulated entertainment indoors from 23:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Thursday, and 23:00 to 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The proposed opening hours were from 10:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Thursday, and 10:00 to 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Metropolitan Police Service had initially submitted a representation but withdrew it after an agreement was reached on a set of conditions. However, an outstanding representation remained from the council's Environmental Protection Team (EPT) concerning the prevention of public nuisance. The EPT noted that the proposed hours were outside the Southwark Statement of Licensing Policy³ for takeaways in this residential area and raised concerns about potential noise and odour nuisance from external plant and customers. The EPT also highlighted that planning permission for the site, granted in 2003, restricted the operating hours of the restaurant use to 23:30 on Sundays to Thursdays and 00:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and that a condition specifically prohibited take-away delivery services by motorised vehicles. Historical complaints related to odour and noise from the premises between 2015 and 2025 were also noted.

Lebanese Mix Grill, 204 Old Kent Road, London SE1 5TY

The committee was scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence for Lebanese Mix Grill, submitted by Lebanese Mix Grill Ltd. The initial application sought authorisation for late-night refreshment from 23:00 to 02:00 from Sunday to Wednesday, and 23:00 to 04:00 from Thursday to Saturday. The proposed opening hours were from 10:00 to 02:00 from Sunday to Wednesday, and 10:00 to 04:00 from Thursday to Saturday.

Representations were received from the Metropolitan Police Service, the council's Licensing Unit, and the council's Environmental Protection Team (EPT). The Metropolitan Police initially objected due to the late hours and the premises' location in a residential area, proposing reduced hours and specific conditions. The EPT objected on the grounds of licensing policy and the prevention of public nuisance, stating that takeaways are considered inappropriate in this residential area and that the proposed hours risked conflict with residential use. The Licensing Unit also objected, citing the proposed hours as exceeding those recommended in the Southwark Statement of Licensing Policy and the potential for public nuisance. The premises had previously operated under Temporary Event Notices⁴ allowing late-night refreshment until 04:00 on Fridays and Sundays, and until 02:00 on Sundays, without reported issues. The applicant and the Metropolitan Police Service later agreed to amendments to the operating hours and the inclusion of further conditions, leading to the withdrawal of the police representation. However, the representations from the Licensing Unit and the EPT remained outstanding.