Chicken Cottage opening hours application refused

A  chicken shop previously reprimanded for selling food beyond its licensing hours has had an application to stay open later refused.

Chicken Cottage, a chain which offers takeaway and delivery options, had been hoping to extend its opening hours at its North End Road, Fulham shop by an hour, as well as removing a host of conditions on its current licence.

Hammersmith and Fulham councillors rejected the submission, citing previous instances of it not abiding by its operating restrictions, and concerns of the potentially increased noise and antisocial behaviour.

The current premises licence enables Chicken Cottage to open at 10.30am, with its closing times listed as 1am Sunday to Thursday, and 2am Friday and Saturday. The licence further notes it can sell ‘late-night refreshment’ from 11pm each evening, to end at the same time as the shop shuts.

While the initial submission was requesting to extend this to be able to continue with takeaway orders until 3am Sunday to Thursday, and 4am Friday and Saturday, the applicant amended this during the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting, to an extra hour across the board.

Councillors on the sub-committee voted to refuse the amended application, although did agree to the removal of some of the requested conditions.

Ahead of the meeting, objections to the application were received from groups including residents, Councillor Ben Coleman, deputy leader of the council, who had been contacted by concerned constituents as well as the police, the Environmental Public Protection-Nuisance, and the council’s licensing team.

During the meeting, a number of residents spoke of their concerns regarding Chicken Cottage’s application. The impact of the additional noise, the potential ‘creep’ of other late-night takeaways seeking similar extensions, and the behaviour of delivery drivers were among the points raised.

At the end of the near-four hour session, councillors agreed to remove some of the conditions, though refused the request for later hours and a new premises plan, while also imposing new conditions relating to staff training.

Pictured top: Chicken Cottage in North End Road (Picture: Google Street View)