The applicate, Fireaway Pizza, had applied to extent their closing hours from the current 11.00 pm Monday to Sunday to 3am Monday to Sunday
The Licensing Sub – committee held a hearing on Wednesday 5th April, 10am at the London Borough of Bromley, Civic Centre. The Councillors who were on the Licensing Sub-committee hearing were Cllr Onslow (Chair), Cllr Bance & Cllr Tunnicliffe.
During the public consultant period the Council received a total of 59 objections, including 2 from responsible authorities. They were;
- Health & Safety
- Statutory Nuisance & Anti Behaviour Team
There was also one in support of the application.
Cllr Mike Jack and Cllr Mark Smith attended the hearing along with a large number of residents. Cllr Mike Jack spoke on behalf of residents OBJECTING to the application. Two residents also spoke OBJECTING to the application
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF CLLR MIKE JACKS COMMENTS:
60 plus residents who have contacted me objecting, to the application by Fireaway Pizza to extend their operating licence to 3am Monday to Sunday 7 days a week which we find totally unacceptable.
Fireaway Pizza is a franchised operation and was opened a few years ago. It has since changed hands and one of the reasons the current franchisee wants to extent their operating hours “is to assist the business which is facing considerable struggle due to economic downturn”.
I don’t except this reason – the business has never been successful and that’s one of the reasons I suspect it was sold – poor sales.
The business is situation in the wrong area – a very quiet area on the Chislehurst, Bickley border, which is largely residential, A CONSERVATION area – which must be protected.
The application is a very crude attempt by the business owners to claw back a return on their poor investment at the expense of residents which have made this part of Chislehurst their home. 3am Monday to Sunday is totally unacceptable.
There are NO other licenced premises in the vicinity of Fireaway that operate after midnight.
The closest one which is directly across the road from Fireaway is the Bickley. This is a large and very successful pub & restaurant specializing in special events – they are only open to 11pm during the week and 12 during the weekend.
- Next door to Fireaway we have a coffee shop – 4pm
- On the other side of Fireaway there is a Fish & Chip Shop – 10pm
- Kebab shop up the road – 11pm
- Fish Restaurant – 12
- Costcutter a few metres along from Fireaway 9pm.
Snapshot of the hours other Pizza Businesses close in Bromley.
- Dominos Bromley 11pm
- Dominos Mottingham 11pm
- Papa John’s Petts Wood 11pm
- Dominos Sidcup 11pm
- Pizza Hut Bromley 12.00
- Fireaway Sidcup 11pm
Most of these are on busy high streets not in quiet residential, conservation areas like Chislehurst.
Fireaway premises is situated in a densely populated area – It is part of a small parade of shops that run on both sides of Lower Camden – which is home to over 170 residential properties.
Above Fireaway and the other businesses there are approximately 15 flats. Across and along from Fireaway we have Tollgate Lodge which is 14 apartments. Around the corner from Tollgate – Forrest Close we approximately 30 properties and a large number of sheltered accommodation units.
INCREASED NOISE LATE NIGHT & EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING/LITTER.
Vehicles coming and going down residential routes, starting up, the noise of vehicles breaking and being switch off. All the roads leading to Fireaway are residential roads. Car doors being opened & closed. The sound of music coming from cars, horns going off, even if just a beep to active an alarm. I would also include loud satnavs and drivers using their phones.
Let’s not forget the noise from the restaurant. Doors opening and closing. Phones ringing, conversations being had. People coming and going and the noise of the extractor fans and air conditioning units not to mention the running of the Pizza Oven – all to 3am 7 days a week. You also have the light pollution from the business but from vehicles coming and going – remember this is a large residential area – a family area. Can you imagine the nuisance and loss of amenity to the residents residing locally to this business if this application is approved?
There has also been a huge increase in litter since the opening of Fireaway – We have had to increase the number of bins and frequency of collections to try and resolve this situation. This would only increase with extended opening hours.
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
They are saying no takeaways after 11am. That won’t stop people from trying to get a takeaway. Coffee on Camden – next door have an outside area for their customers. Across the road the Bickley also have an area for their customers. Both are unsecured, highly visible, both fitted out with tables, chairs, and umbrellas, which will be very popular hot spots for gatherings in the early hours of the morning to meet, eat pizzas and socialise – until 3am. 7 days a week.
They say delivery only! What is to stop me ringing or ordering my Pizza online and getting the pizza delivered to my car or an address across the road – such as outside the pub in its garden bar or just standing outside?
There is a huge risk here of increased antisocial behaviour in a very quiet out of the way parade of shops located in a large residential area. An extension of their licence would also place an unnecessary strain on our already overburdened Police and emergency services.
Lastly, we want to support businesses in our community. This is not the way we like to do business. Not once have the owners engaged with the community. They say what they think the licencing team, want to hear – Deliveries will be made with electric/Green vehicles. When I spoke to a number of employees. Including who I thought was a Manager, they knew nothing of this. On one of their emails, they said the Manager wants to actively work with Neighbouring residents and to have a direct contact to ensure issues of noise or disturbance are addresses immediately. I, residents, and businesses have never heard from the owners of Fireaway.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
We are firmly against this application for the extended of opening hours of Fireaway Pizza, Monday to Sunday until 3am – there are NO benefits to the community only headaches if this application goes ahead. Chislehurst is for a very good reason a conservation area, historic in nature and in need of protection.
We are asking the Licensing Sub Committee to reject the application.
Thank you
Sadly the application was approved with the following conditions
- No takeaways after 11pm
- Deliveries until 1am Sunday to Thursday
- Deliveries until 2am Friday and Saturday
- Electric vehicles only after 11pm (this was stated by the applicant in the licence application)
The decision will be published within five working days, which should be no later than 13th April 2023.
Appeals against a decision made by a Licensing Sub-committee must be made directly to the Magistrates Court within 21 days of receiving the written outcome of the hearing.
I, along with residents are meeting to decide what the next steps will be.
Cllr Mike Jack
