Wimbledon chippy to sell booze until 2am during tennis tournament, despite neighbours’ concerns
By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter
A fish and chip shop can sell booze until 2am during the Wimbledon Championships despite concerns customers drinking beers outside will disturb neighbours late at night.
The tennis tournament will be held at the All England Club, Wimbledon, from July 3 to 16 this year.
Owner Micheal Croner said he had recently expanded The Original Fish and Chips, in Wimbledon Park Road, Southfields, taking over neighbouring premises, so it has a bigger indoor seating area.
He told Wandsworth council’s licensing committee on Monday he had run the shop similarly during Wimbledon for the past 21 years, without any issues.
But the hearing was held after a council environmental services officer objected to the plans over fears neighbours would be disturbed by noise.
Robert Newby-Walker raised concerns about customers being in the shop’s external area after 11pm at the hearing.
He said: “We’ve got no reason to prevent [Mr Croner] from serving and to have clientele inside the premises, but we don’t want to see groups gathered outside which is effectively on the pavement, as good as, and with residents just opposite on the other side of the road that overlook.”
Mr Newby-Walker said a resident had complained to environmental services towards the end of Wimbledon last year that “there was a lot of people congregating out on the front of the property”.
The committee allowed the plans to go ahead, meaning the shop has permission to stay open and sell booze between 8am and 2am during Wimbledon under temporary event notices.
Mr Croner said: “It’s not a place where I open out to come and get drunk. No, I need to sell my food. I give a good service. All the umpires come there, they know me for long time.”
He added: “I control it very well and I don’t bring people in from the pubs – they are all turned down because I’m not running a place to come and drink. It’s just to come, relax, after you’ve done your job.”
Picture: The Original Fish And Chips, Wimbledon Park Road (Picture: Google Street View)
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