Things are not going well for fast food in Roehampton. Two of its outlets are out of action, and a third has met with 10 objections in its bid to stay open until 2am. Two is, incidentally, also its food hygiene rating, which is not displayed in the window.
Morley’s Chicken at 24 Roehampton High Street received its 2 out of 5 (meaning improvement necessary) because inspectors found raw meat stored next to ready-to-eat food, temperature records that hadn’t been updated since July 2022, and no pest control. We know because we pulled its hygiene record. Punters rocking up at 2am for hot chicken are likely to be less aware.
Residents, including the local vicar, don’t want a late-night fast food restaurant on the High Street and have said so: a licence hearing is this Thursday, 11 June, at 7pm.
The two closed outlets tell their own story. Next door to Morley’s at 26, T Munch & Shakes (5 for hygiene) has shut up shop, its windows papered over with a handwritten ‘Sorry we are closed’ sign. Adding to the blight, across the road, the Angel pub is closed and being gutted after a police bid to revoke its licence. And if you fancied a sausage roll while contemplating all this, you’re out of luck: even the Greggs on Danebury Avenue is boarded up, though for a refit rather than a closure.
Just as well: Greggs is the only shop on the rather sad-looking Danebury Avenue parade that ever looks busy. These shops have been earmarked for regeneration since at least 2006, shelved for the recession, planned for again, shelved again, worked up into a grand plan under Labour… and then Labour ran out of money and was booted out of office last month.
Against this backdrop of culinary misfortune, Morley’s applied in March for its premises licence to serve hot food until 2am, seven nights a week. Ten residents objected.
What residents say
Nine of the ten objections covered noise, litter, drug-related activity, and delivery mopeds routinely mounting the pavement. The man who lives directly above the shop wrote that current hours already make it impossible to sleep, with customers arriving “in an intoxicated state” and motorbike drivers gathering outside while cooking smells filter upstairs. A further objector raised the impact on St Mary’s Convent Care Home nearby, whose residents she described as having a legitimate need for quiet at night.
The Vicar of Roehampton, Revd Joshua Rey, made no mention of crime. He wrote instead that a 2am licence for Morley’s would draw people who “consume junk food, deposit the detritus on the pavement, make some noise and go on their way”, adding that it “will do nothing to encourage the growth of good quality food service and entertainment serving the local community.” He makes a fair point: Roehampton High Street has been waiting on hold for some years hoping someone will finally answer.
What the committee can do
Despite having singled our Morley’s during its effort to shut down The Angel Pub, the Met Police withdrew its complaint after the shop promised to cuts hours from 3am to 2am and accept CCTV. Not much of a shift for locals but the police were happy.
Wandsworth Council’s licensing committee cannot simply refuse an application because the street has problems: under the law it must find that granting the licence would actually undermine one of the four objectives: crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance, or protection of children from harm.
Watch the hearing
The Licensing Sub-Committee meets online via Microsoft Teams this Thursday 11 June at 7pm, the hearing is public and anyone can watch. A webcast link will be on the council’s democracy portal before Thursday. Questions about the papers: Michael Flowers at Licensing.Committee@wandsworth.gov.uk.
