The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barnet Council met on Thursday 6 August 2026 to consider a Temporary Event Notice application for McDonald's at 136-140 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3EE. The meeting's agenda also included the standard procedural items for such hearings.

Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing Procedure

The committee was scheduled to follow the established procedure for licensing sub-committee hearings, as outlined in the report pack. This procedure is based on regulations made under the Licensing Act 2003 and is designed to ensure a fair hearing for all parties involved. The process includes introductions, outlining the procedure, presentation of reports by the Licensing Manager, submissions from the applicant and any other parties, followed by a discussion and determination. The procedure also details how decisions are made and announced, and the process for appealing against a decision.

Temporary Event Notices for McDonald's, 136-140 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3EE

The primary focus of the meeting was the consideration of Temporary Event Notices (TENs) for McDonald's at 136-140 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3EE. These notices sought to permit the provision of late-night refreshment for extended hours on several dates: 8-9 August 2026, 15-17 August 2026, 22-24 August 2026, and 29-30 August 2026.

A key element of the discussion was an objection received from Hassan Khan, representing Barnet Council's Noise Nuisance department, acting as a Responsible Authority. The objection was based on the prevention of public nuisance, a core licensing objective.

The report pack indicated that the objection was lodged due to concerns that the proposed extended hours might undermine licensing objectives. Specifically, the objection highlighted that a previous application to extend the venue's operating hours had been refused following representations from local residents and concerns about police deployments to the premises. The Noise Nuisance department expressed concern that the use of TENs in these circumstances could be an attempt to circumvent the earlier licensing decision. Furthermore, the proposed operating hours were considered to have the potential to adversely affect nearby residents through noise and associated disturbance.

The report also noted that the Metropolitan Police Service had not raised any objections.

The report detailed the legal framework for considering TENs when objections are received, including the possibility of imposing conditions on the notice or issuing a counter notice if the event is deemed to undermine licensing objectives. The report also referenced Barnet's Licensing Policy 2025, which outlines the council's approach to dealing with TENs and promoting the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The report pack included the Temporary Event Notice application forms, the objection from the Noise Nuisance department, the existing premises licence for McDonald's, and the decision notices for each of the TEN applications. The objection from Hassan Khan, dated 3 August 2026, detailed concerns about potential public nuisance, crime and disorder, and environmental health issues. It referenced a previous planning application refusal (Reference: 26/0632/S73) for extended opening hours at the same premises, which was refused due to concerns about noise and disturbance from customers and delivery vehicles. The objection also highlighted discrepancies in the TEN application forms and provided police intelligence regarding incidents at the premises. A site visit by Hassan Khan observed a significant number of motorcycles associated with food delivery services outside the premises, with idling engines and loud conversations, suggesting potential noise issues during extended hours. The objection also noted that the Metropolitan Police Service had been conducting enforcement operations targeting mopeds and delivery riders in the local area.

The report pack also included a planning decision notice from 16 April 2026, detailing the refusal of planning permission for a variation of condition 4 (opening hours) for McDonald's at 136-140 Cricklewood Broadway. The refusal was based on the grounds that the proposed extended opening hours would result in unreasonable noise and disturbance at unsociable hours for neighbouring residential occupiers, contrary to various London Plan and Barnet Local Plan policies.