A South London 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, June 26, he had run the shop similarly during Wimbledon for the last 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”.
He said: “The complaint from last year was that essentially there was groups out there till 2am in the morning, drinking, chatting, laughing, shouting, nothing particularly too extreme, but even just a handful of people talking and laughing and joking and drinking beers at 1am, 2am in the morning will have an impact on residents.”
He added: “It’s weather-dependent a little bit, but if everyone’s got their windows open, which we’d expect, and you’ve still got people sitting out gone midnight, then they will cause an impact on people.”
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.
The notices apply from July 3 to 8, and July 10 to 16, at the shop at 251c, 253, 253a and 253b Wimbledon Park Road.
But the committee included conditions preventing speakers being placed outside the premises and requiring staff to monitor customers’ behaviour on the front decking area after 11pm, to make sure they are respecting neighbours, at the 253a and 253b units.
Labour councillor Maurice McLeod, chair of the committee, said the committee made the decision “in recognition of the complaint last year, but recognising that the operator is willing to work with neighbours to manage the noise” and members felt the conditions “help provide assurances”.
Councillor McLeod added the committee “also took into account that the operator was not informed of the complaint last year”.
Mr Croner said he cares about the neighbourhood and residents supported the shop’s expansion. He said he was “shocked” to learn of the complaint last year, neighbours had his number to raise any issues and he is “very respectful in Southfields”.
Speaking about the Wimbledon Championships, Mr Croner said: “Towards the end, when the games are done, we’ve got the campers, we’ve got the tennis umpires, we’ve got a few people who actually come in to have the meals.
“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.”
