The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Thursday 3 September 2026 to consider an application for a premises licence. The primary item on the agenda was an application for a premises licence for Char Chicken, located at 185 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW.

Licensing Act 2003: Char Chicken, 185 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW

The committee was scheduled to consider an application made by Char 1746 Ltd. for a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003¹ for Char Chicken, located at 185 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW. This application was subject to an outstanding representation from a local resident, which meant it had to be referred to the Licensing Sub-Committee for determination.

The report pack indicated that the initial application sought permission for late-night refreshment indoors from Monday to Sunday, 23:00 to 05:00, with the premises open from Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 05:00. The premises was described as a Cafe from 7am - 1pm, 1pm - 11pm turkish restaurant and take away. no alcohol sold.

However, the hours had been amended following discussions with the Metropolitan Police. The revised hours proposed were:

• Late night refreshment (indoors): Sunday to Thursday from 23:00 to 00:00, and Friday and Saturday from 23:00 to 01:00.
• Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 07:00 to 00:00, and Friday and Saturday from 07:00 to 01:00.

The Metropolitan Police had initially objected to the application due to the requested hours exceeding those recommended in the Southwark Council Statement of Licensing Policy² and concerns about the vagueness and enforceability of the proposed control measures. They noted that the area was already saturated with late-night refreshment venues and that some existing venues operating outside recommended hours had historically been problematic.

A local resident also submitted a representation objecting to the application, primarily on the grounds of potential public nuisance and the prevention of crime and disorder. The resident expressed concerns about noise from customers congregating outside, vehicle movements, litter, and sleep disturbance, particularly with the initial proposed hours extending to 05:00. They suggested that even the revised hours of midnight and 01:00 might still cause disturbance and proposed further reduced hours, with late-night refreshment ceasing at 23:00 on Sundays to Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The report pack detailed a list of conditions that had been agreed between the applicant and the Metropolitan Police, which included the installation and maintenance of a digital CCTV system, clear signage regarding operating hours and CCTV usage, protocols for delivery companies, an incident log, and instructions for customers to leave quietly. The applicant's operating schedule also included proposed steps to promote the four licensing objectives, such as staff training, CCTV, fire safety equipment, asking customers to leave quietly, and safeguarding measures for children.

The committee was also to consider the council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2026 to 2031³, which outlines the framework for determining licence applications, with particular relevance to chapters on the four licensing objectives, cumulative impact policies, and hours of operation. The premises is located outside of a cumulative impact area but within the Elephant and Castle Major Town Centre, where recommended closing hours for takeaways and restaurants are until 00:00 on Sundays to Thursdays and 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The report also noted the council's commitment to considering climate change implications, although this was not a legal factor in licensing decisions.