Stiff Opposition to North End Road Popeyes Licence Bid
Council officers back residents' objections to late opening
The Popeyes branch on North End Road. Picture: Vanston Place Management Company
January 21, 2025
A branch of Popeyes on North End Road has drawn concerns from residents over plans to extend its opening hours. The fried chicken chain is requesting a licence to operate its restaurant between 7am and midnight Sunday to Wednesday, and until 1am Thursday to Saturday.
Deliveries will also be permitted an hour after close. It is currently licensed to open between 11am and 11pm, Monday to Sunday. The submission, which is due to be decided by Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee next Monday (27 January), has however received 21 objections including from the local authority’s Environmental Protection team.
A Popeyes UK spokesperson said the application will offer additional choice to customers, and that it will enable it to operate similar hours to several other local restaurants. The North End Road Popeyes is located towards the thoroughfare’s southern end, a short walk from Fulham Broadway Station and Chelsea FC’s home ground Stamford Bridge.
The chain had initially sought permission to remain open until 2.30am seven days a week, though this was later reduced following correspondence with the council. The objections revolve around the potential impact of the proposed hours on residents, in particular given the area is already identified by the Met Police as a crime hotspot.
In an email to Hammersmith and Fulham published as part of the meeting pack, the Barclay Road Residents group wrote, “This stretch of North End Road is a defined Metropolitan Police Crime Hot Spot. Only shorter operating hours will assist in decreasing crime by not attracting customers during food service operating hours and not attracting delivery drivers during the proposed ‘delivery only’/so-called ‘Outdoors only’ hours, in licensing parlance.”
The group adds that ‘scores’ of residents live above and across from the premises, with thousands more on nearby roads. The Co-Chair of the Walham Green Ward Panel similarly raised the likely impact on those living in the area.
“Residents including young children on the North End Road and side streets such as Shorrolds Road, Epirus Road and other nearby side streets will have their sleep disturbed by customers, delivery drivers collecting take away orders and delivery drivers delivering supplies to the premises,” the letter reads.
“In addition to the direct noise at the premises, the residents will be woken by the sound of additional delivery drivers whizzing around. The noise of their e-bikes, motor scooters and motor bikes interrupts the sleep of residents and makes a significant contribution to the pollution in this built-up area. This conflicts with the licensing objectives of protecting children from harm and public safety.”
According to one resident, if the proposal is agreed, ‘this will disturb the sleep of the hardworking residents and their children nearby even more. Need I remind you of the severe implications of lack of sleep on mental health and school attainment (protection of children from harm)’.
The Secretary of the Fulham Island Residents Association, which comprises 32 flats, meanwhile flagged the Popeyes is also located close to Fulham Boys School. They argued this is a contravention of the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan’s ban on new fast-food takeaways within 400 metres of a school.
The council’s Environmental Protection team raised a number of concerns even with the reduced hours. These include the noise from the extractor ventilation system, human voices and activity, and cleaning after closing hours. John Garcia, an investigator on the team, wrote: “There is insufficient evidence to support the extension of the business hours as they encroach into the night time.”
A spokesperson for Popeyes UK said, “Our application to extend our Fulham North End Road restaurant opening hours will offer additional choice to local consumers and enable Popeyes to operate similar hours to several other restaurant businesses in the area. As a business with over 65 UK sites we pride ourselves on being a responsible operator and local community citizen, and we are actively engaging with local residents to understand and mitigate any potential concerns.”
Popeyes was founded in Louisiana in 1972 by Al Copeland. It now has thousands of restaurants worldwide including its 65 sites across the UK. Its London locations include premises in Waterloo, Clapham and Shoreditch. When the Ealing branch opened in 2022 it made £20,000 in one day due to its popularity. Similarly, people reportedly queued for hours to be first into Popeyes’ Croydon branch which opened in 2023.
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter