The Licensing Sub-Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council met on Tuesday 7 July 2026 to consider an application for a new premises licence for KFC at Dawson House, 131-135 High Street, New Malden. The committee granted the licence with amended hours and conditions, despite objections from local residents and a ward councillor.

KFC Premises Licence Application

The primary focus of the meeting was an application by Clokken Limited, trading as KFC, for a new premises licence at Dawson House, 131-135 High Street, New Malden, KT3 4BH. The application sought permission to provide late-night refreshments from 11pm to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and from 11pm to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Crucially, after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, the premises would operate a delivery and collection service only, with no customer access.

The application was heard by a Licensing Sub-Committee comprising Councillor Andrew Sillett (Chair), Councillor Manish Shukla, and Councillor Wimal Wimalathasan.

Arguments for the Application

Matthew Phipps, the agent for KFC, presented the application, highlighting that KFC is a well-established operator with extensive experience in managing licensed premises. He emphasised that the proposed hours were within the council's licensing policy guidelines and that KFC owned and operated the premises itself. Mr Phipps stated that pre-application consultations had been held with the police and Environmental Health, and their concerns had been addressed, leading to no formal representations from these responsible authorities.

He acknowledged that seven valid representations had been received from other persons (local residents and a councillor), representing a small fraction (1.8%) of the total consultees. Mr Phipps argued that these representations did not indicate a widespread opposition. He addressed concerns raised by residents, agreeing to conditions such as ensuring delivery vehicles did not idle their engines outside, implementing regular litter patrols, and providing a direct contact number for residents to report issues. He also noted that KFC had not received any prior complaints about the operation of the premises.

Regarding the extraction fan, Mr Phipps stated it was serviced regularly and believed it to be in good order. He also addressed concerns about waste management, presenting a photograph of the rear bin area which he described as being in good order and committed to maintaining it as such. He refuted claims that KFC staff were not skilled or motivated, stating that KFC invests in training and career progression.

Mr Phipps also referred to national guidance supporting the promotion of growth and economic benefits, and highlighted that the proposed hours were within the council's policy. He concluded by stating that if any issues arose, the review procedure was the appropriate mechanism to address them, and that KFC was committed to being a good neighbour.

Objections and Concerns Raised

Several residents and Councillor James Giles, the ward councillor for Green Lane & St James, raised objections to the application. The core concerns revolved around the prevention of public nuisance and the prevention of crime and disorder.

Noise and Odour: Residents living near the premises, particularly those in Sussex Close and above the KFC unit, reported being disturbed by noise from the extractor fan, especially early in the morning. One resident stated they were woken at 6:45 am by the extractor fan and that the smell of cooking grease from the fan necessitated keeping windows closed. The landlord of the residential accommodation above KFC also raised concerns about the proposed extension of hours exacerbating existing issues with cooking odours and mechanical noise, impacting residents' ability to rest and ventilate their homes.

Litter and Fly-tipping: Multiple representations highlighted a significant problem with litter and fly-tipping in the area behind KFC, particularly in an unadopted area between KFC and Charnwood Close. Residents reported finding overflowing bins, discarded sofas, rubble, and a large number of nitrous oxide canisters, suggesting drug use. While the applicant agreed to litter patrols at the front, objectors felt this was insufficient and that KFC customers contributed significantly to the litter problem.

Crime and Disorder: Concerns were raised about the potential for increased anti-social behaviour, loitering, and noise from customers and delivery drivers during the extended hours. Councillor Giles specifically worried about delivery riders and drivers attending after midnight, potentially causing noise from idling engines, congregating, and parking issues on the High Street, which he believed could lead to illegal parking on pavements.

Delivery Operations: The timing of waste collection lorries, arriving as early as 5 am with reversing alarms, was also cited as a disturbance. While KFC stated their waste collection was not scheduled for that early, they acknowledged it might occur and committed to investigating. There were also concerns about delivery drivers using pathways like Charnwood Close as shortcuts and the associated noise from moped alarms.

Staff Competency: One representation questioned the competency, motivation, and reward structure of KFC staff, suggesting they might not be sufficiently equipped to maintain incident logs or operate CCTV effectively in the long term.

Decision and Conditions

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted the premises licence. However, the decision included amendments to the proposed hours and the imposition of additional conditions beyond those offered by the applicant.

The granted hours for late-night refreshment were:

• Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 pm to 12:00 am (midnight).
• Friday and Saturday: 11:00 pm to 1:00 am.

Crucially, after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, the premises would operate as a delivery and collection service only, with no customer access.

The following conditions were imposed or agreed upon:

• Delivery Drivers: After midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, delivery drivers must wait inside the premises. After 11:00 pm on any day, delivery drivers and riders must park vehicles to the front of the premises on the High Street.
• Code of Conduct for Delivery Drivers: Adherence to a code of conduct to control and limit sound generation, including lawful parking, turning off engines, keeping noise to a minimum, not congregating near residential property, and utilising litter facilities.
• Litter Patrols: Patrols of the area within the curtilage to the front of the premises were to be undertaken at regular intervals in the final hour before closing each night, with any litter accumulations cleared.
• Extraction Fan: All extract and ventilation ducting to be maintained and serviced regularly and suitably attenuated.
• Foyer Lights: After 12:00 am (midnight) on Fridays and Saturdays, the foyer lights were to be turned off.
• Incident Log: An incident log was to be maintained and made available on request to authorised officers, the Local Authority, or the Police, recording crimes, ejections, complaints, disorder, seizures of drugs or weapons, and visits by authorities.
• CCTV: A fully operational CCTV system was to be maintained, with recordings retained for 31 days and images provided to authorised officers upon request. Clear signage indicating CCTV use was to be displayed.
• Staff Training: All staff were to receive training on general safety, fire and emergencies, and allergens policy, with this training documented and available for inspection.
• Public Safety: Exit routes and high traffic areas were to be kept unobstructed, with non-slippery surfaces and clear signage. Combustible rubbish was not to accumulate in a way that caused a hazard.
• Direct Contact Number: A direct contact number for residents to report concerns to the premises manager was to be provided.

The decision was confirmed by email later that day, with full reasons to follow within five working days.