Popeyes in Ealing Broadway will soon extend their opening hours into the early hours of the morning.

The Ealing Council Licensing Sub-Committee decided on Wednesday (December 18) to allow the restaurant to open until midnight Sunday to Thursday with deliveries until 1am, and until 1am on Friday and Saturday with deliveries until 2am.

Currently, the restaurant is open until 11.59pm Monday-Sunday, including for deliveries. However with the licence granted, Popeyes will be able to deliver food to customers later into the night, and serve food later to customers in store until the early hours on weekends.

Ann Chapman, Chair of the Ealing Civic Society, objected to the extension of opening hours, going as far as to accuse Popeyes of disrespecting Ealing with its request. At the licensing hearing she said: "We would invite Popeyes to respect Ealing, which is something I'm afraid they do not appear to be doing at the moment," to which the Popeyes representative reacted with an astonished look.

In her representation Ann also outlined the fear of increased antisocial behaviour by both delivery drivers and customers should hours be extended. She said: "There is undoubtedly in the later hours of the evening potential for gathering of people… possibly when drinking which can lead to antisocial behaviour and public nuisance."

She added: "The delivery drivers drive recklessly. They do not take notice of traffic lights, they don't always take notice of pedestrians."

Upon returning their decision to approve the application, committee Chair Kim Kaur Nagpal said: "The committee was satisfied that Popeyes would be trading within Ealing's core trading hours, and the variation of timings… would promote the night-time economy in Ealing.

"The panel viewed that an additional trading hour for delivery-only was unlikely to materially increase problems caused by scooter deliveries as customers would order from a different supplier instead of Popeyes."

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