The Merton Council Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for a McDonald's restaurant. The meeting's agenda included the determination of this application, which had received representations from local residents.

McDonald's Application at The Tandem Centre, Colliers Wood

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application for a new premises licence for McDonald's, located at Unit 11, The Tandem Centre, Tandem Way, Colliers Wood, London, SW19 2TY. The application sought permission for late-night refreshment inside and outside the premises between 11:00 PM and 11:30 PM, Monday to Saturday. The proposed opening hours for the restaurant were 7:00 AM to 11:30 PM, Monday to Saturday, and 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM on Sundays.

Two representations were received from local residents, Simon Quinn and Manish Sahai, expressing concerns about the potential impact of the new McDonald's.

Manish Sahai raised several points in his representation:

• Impact on local businesses: He expressed concern that McDonald's, with its significant financial resources, could negatively affect the viability of independent local restaurants in the area.
• Impact on residents' health: Sahai voiced worries that the presence of a McDonald's would encourage unhealthy eating habits, potentially leading to increased obesity and related health issues.
• Noise, pollution, traffic, and litter: He highlighted that The Tandem Centre is situated amidst residential buildings and homes, and the proposed extended hours would likely increase noise and pollution due to traffic and footfall. Sahai also noted existing litter problems in the area, which he believed would be exacerbated.
• Antisocial behaviour: The extended opening hours were seen as a potential catalyst for an increase in antisocial behaviour, crime, and vandalism.
• Lingering food smells: Specifically for residents of Mizen Heights, who overlook the rear of the premises where bins would be stored, Sahai anticipated that the smell of food leftovers would become significantly worse, impacting their quality of life.

Simon Quinn echoed some of these concerns, particularly regarding noise and litter. He stated that the existing noise from the adjacent Nando's restaurant, including kitchen extractors and waste disposal, was already at a tolerable level. He argued that extending McDonald's hours to 11:30 PM would be unacceptable for similar reasons, with kitchen noise, staff activity, and bin disposal potentially continuing past midnight. Quinn also noted that the bins in the Tandem Centre area were already overflowing and expressed concern about McDonald's rubbish contributing to the mess on the floor and local streets.

The report pack outlined possible conditions that could be included if the Sub-Committee decided to grant the licence. These included:

• Displaying notices advising customers to leave quietly.
• Maintaining CCTV in effective working order and making recordings available to the police.
• Installing a Staffsafe™ system with audio and visual monitoring.
• Displaying signage about CCTV operation.
• Ensuring all shift managers receive safety and security training, including conflict management.
• Adhering to a No Open Alcohol Containers policy.
• Implementing regular litter patrols.
• Training staff to promote the four licensing objectives.

The Sub-Committee was to consider the application in light of the Licensing Act 2003, the licensing objectives, guidance issued by the Secretary of State, and Merton's Licensing Policy. The powers available to the Sub-Committee included granting the licence with conditions, excluding licensable activities, refusing to specify a premises supervisor, or rejecting the application entirely.