Residents battle against delivery drivers ‘weeing and screaming’ on street

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents in Bromley have claimed takeaway drivers are urinating and screaming in their street, while drunks fight while they wait for their food.

Bromley council received an application from the Papa John’s store in Petts Wood, Orpington to extend its delivery hours to 5am every day –  although this has since been withdrawn.

The store, in The Fairway, claimed in its application that the premises would be closed off from the public from 2am, if the proposal were to be approved, with deliveries available until 5am.

The store is currently listed on its website as being open until 11pm each night. Council officers said in their report that the authority had already received several complaints regarding noise disturbances coming from the store.

The application received 40 objections. This included one from Conservative councillor Tony Owen, ward councillor for Petts Wood and Knoll, who called the proposal “ridiculous”.

One resident claimed in their objection: “It has come to our attention that delivery drivers and customers from the adjacent pub, who are often intoxicated, have been urinating in the alley adjacent to Papa John’s Pizza.

They also smoke, shout, and fight while waiting for their pizza orders to be cooked, and they eat on the opposite wall, leaving behind rubbish and packaging on the path.”

The local claimed that there were already problems on the street with the store’s delivery drivers “racing bikes” and “playing football” outside.

The Papa John’s store said in its application form that the business respects its neighbours and the general public. It said it would keep the street clean of litter and noise and request customers to do the same.

A source from Papa John’s said that the application to extend the store’s opening hours sent to Bromley council had since been withdrawn.

Deliveries from the store are carried out through its in-house delivery service as well as through third-party applications such as Deliveroo.

A Deliveroo spokesman said: “Deliveroo takes its responsibilities in the communities where we operate very seriously and we’re proud to support local restaurant partners by connecting them with customers in the area. We regularly communicate with riders about respecting the neighbourhoods where they work.”

Pictured top: Residents claimed in their objections that takeaway drivers regularly ‘urinate’ in the alley beside the store (Picture: Google Street View)