Popeyes will serve customers later at a branch in south west London, despite concerns neighbours will be disturbed by noisy customers and delivery drivers at night.

Richmond Council gave the popular fried chicken chain permission to stay open for deliveries as late as 1am on The Quadrant, next to Richmond station, after a licensing hearing on 8 May.

The council's Licensing Committee approved the venue's application for a late-night licence, but with earlier closing times than it had applied for to slash the risk of antisocial behaviour. The branch opened in May 2023 as part of the US chain's expansion across the UK, with permission to shut at 11pm every day.

The council received four objections to Popeyes' plans from residents ahead of the hearing, with concerns neighbours would be disturbed by noisy customers and delivery drivers hanging around the restaurant late at night.

The venue is in a Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), where the granting of licences is strictly limited to avoid adding to disturbance in the area.

Ginny Curry, representing The Richmond Society, raised concerns disturbance in the area would get "out of hand" as other local venues could apply to stay open later if Popeyes was allowed.

Ms Curry said: "Richmond is an interesting place in that it has many people living in and around the town centre and to actually saddle us with a late-night opening, even if it's only on two or three nights a week, it still puts a pressure on our Cumulative Impact Zone."

She added: "The possibility of disruption late night in the town is not worth it, already we have a much reduced police presence."

Peter Willan, representing Friends of Richmond Green, added: "Richmond is a magnet for visitors. We do have substantial public nuisance problems… and we don't have sufficient police."

Some residents argued that neighbours would be disrupted by the later hours and delivery drrivers (credit: Cesar Medina).

Mr Willian raised concerns about customers' "behaviour beyond the premises", adding he was worried about "people out in the open spaces, the riverside, the green and in the highways rather than in the premises which are, by and large, well managed".

But barrister Mark Browning, representing the applicant, said the restaurant would not negatively impact the CIZ if it was granted a late-night licence. He said the venue would not serve alcohol, there had been no complaints from immediate neighbours and it would have security guards on Fridays and Saturdays.

He added the restaurant would be willing to reduce its hours to be "good neighbours in Richmond", if the committee preferred.

Tim Barnett, London Operators Director for Popeyes, added delivery drivers would not hang around the restaurant as the chain used buttons to tell drivers when orders were ready to collect.

He told the hearing Popeyes was a "premium brand" offering full table service and fresh chicken, so it was less likely to attract drunk customers late at night.

The committee granted the licence with earlier closing times to avoid "noise disturbance and hindering dispersal of patrons from the town centre into the early hours".

The report praised Popeyes for being an "experienced operator with a number of similar branches".

It added: "The Licensing Sub-Committee considered that in the individual circumstances of the case, given the nature of the operation intended at the premises, the high standards to be applied by the established company and the number of conditions agreed and imposed, it was appropriate to grant the application in part without adversely adding to the cumulative impact objectives."

The restaurant will now close to the public at 11.30pm on Sundays to Thursdays, and 12am on Thursdays to Saturdays.

It will stay open to deliveries until 12am on Sundays to Thursdays, and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

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