Families in Richmond are concerned about the rise of grocery delivery firms as several planning applications have been received for new 24-hour app-based services which rival the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

Quick Commerce Ltd who own the delivery app 'Zapp' has applied for several licenses recently, including one at Westminster House on Kew Road and another over in Teddington.

The app is one of a host of new food delivery apps promising speedy delivery of groceries - sometimes within minutes - to those who live locally to its depots.

If you have wandered around Richmond recently you will likely have seen a bus with their advertising on, and if you are a social media user you may well have seen their ads while scrolling.

Zapp is following in the footsteps of other similar app grocery services in Richmond like Jiffy and Getir.

Zapp currently operates a delivery service of groceries and alcohol ordered through its app across 21 parts of London as well as across the UK, and it wants to expand to boroughs further out of the capital.

Richmond residents and councillors have expressed concerns about possible noise, disruption, and the location of depots.

The latest licence applied for is over in Teddington: a 24/7 licence to operate from Princes Works on Princes Road.

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Local resident Luciara McAteer said: "A third business of online grocery, especially 24/7, will triple the issues we have been suffering so far."

She explained her main issues are: "Light and noise pollution from the units into residents' homes, traffic disturbance caused by ongoing delivery in large trucks to the premises at all hours of day and night, waking up children and causing major traffic disturbance and endangering pedestrians."

Another resident, Sohail Raja, said: "Princes Works is not suitable for these types of businesses and should not be set up beforehand, this would avoid residents finding about these businesses via licensing applications!"

Councillor Jonathan Cardy told Richmond Council's Licensing Sub-Committee on August 16: "[The building] is inappropriately small for the larger vehicles that some of the other sites are using and I really appreciate that this particular operator is very sensibly limiting things to transit size vehicles, but it's also the the access road to Princes Road.

"It's a private road that doesn't have a pavement and is the only way in and out several flats."

Zapp have since made alterations to plans, including only using electric transit vans and bikes as opposed to loud trucks that bleep in reverse.

The firm said there will only be an average of seven deliveries in the area per week.

Applicant Robert Botkai said: "I feel that we've learned from some of the issues that have arisen from the actions.

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"We have adapted the conditions for this licence to reflect some of the issues."

Mr Botkai said if granted a license, he is happy to speak with residents after three and six months to hear their thoughts on Zapp.

A decision on whether to grant the licence will be made within the next five days.