A DECISION has been made on whether a KFC in Reading can conduct deliveries and takeaways until 3am each night.
The KFC in Shinfield Road has been serving customers for more than 20 years in the busy area along one of the main routes into and out of town.
A clash was set to take place over the franchise owner’s application to Reading Borough Council for deliveries and takeaways until 3am each day.
Objections had been made by the council’s licensing team, environmental health department and Thames Valley Police.
The concerns related to delivery drivers and customers congregating, and triggered a meeting of the council’s licensing applications sub-committee.
However, these objections were withdrawn following discussions with KZ Catering, the franchisee.
An objection was also received from neighbour Steve Cashley, who raised fears about littering and disturbance at night.
He said: “It will increase the noise and rubbish in the local area and parking in the side streets, eating in their car and throwing the rubbish out of their cars.”
The application was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, October 6.
Licensing officer Mike Harding mentioned that conditions had been agreed between the franchisee, the council and police, and that those representations should be disregarded.
A condition was adjusted. Initially, it was proposed that waste collection contractors be banned from collections between 7pm and 7am.
This was adjusted to between 11pm and 5am.
Nick Landells, representing the franchisees from Poppleston Allen Licensing Solicitors, argued Mr Cashley’s objection was “frivolous”.
He said: “This is nothing more than a frivolous representation, at most, the objections are minor.”
Mr Cashley was invited to the meeting.
However, councillors concluded that his objection was a valid representation.
Mr Landells then argued KZ Catering experienced operator, running 22 KFC’s and Costa Coffee franchises.
He said: “A large part of the customer base is the neighbourhood, as well as students from the university, who like to have food delivered.
“It has to be delivered to a home or business location. This sort of food doesn’t travel far, and many of the delivery drivers use bikes or electric and hybrid cars.
“They pick up the order, and off they pop. It’s a very quiet operation in Reading.
“From 11pm, it is takeaway and delivery only, purely servicing the delivery market, and the demand is there.”
Mr Landells then stated that from 11pm until 3am, there will be three members of staff and a manager on site, and that eight out of 10 orders at later hours are through the third-party delivery companies, such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats.
The application was approved by councillors Paul Woodward (Labour, Church), Pratikshya Gurung (Labour, Battle) and Sarah Magon (Green, Park).
Cllr Gurung was late to the meeting due to her work as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, leading to about a 30-minute delay.
