Restaurants must seek permission for home delivery
Westminster council says residents have complained about noise levels from crowds of waiting drivers
THE rise of apps such as Deliveroo allows diners to eat gourmet food in the comfort of their own homes.
But that could be in jeopardy after one council said it will change its planning rules following noise complaints from well-heeled residents.
Westminster City Council says moped drivers congregating on pavements are causing a disturbance to locals – and it plans to crack down on restaurants that are branching out into home delivery.
It says it has 3,000 restaurants in the space of a few miles and needs to limit the number of delivery drivers to preserve the peace and prevent “traffic chaos”.
The refined tastes of west Londoners mean the change won’t only affect fast food outlets as several top restaurants have also begun making home deliveries, including at least one Michelinstarred establishment.
The change, which is due to be implemented in the spring, means that restaurants that frequently make deliveries, to the extent that they are no longer a “secondary use”, will have to apply for planning permission to continue.
They would also have to show that they are working to minimise disruption in local neighbourhoods, and could face enforcement action if they fail to comply.
Daniel Astaire, Westminster City Council cabinet member for planning and public realm said: “We have nearly 3,000 restaurants in Westminster and the council needs policies to keep up with new technology, ensuring that areas can cope with the increased demand for deliveries. Left unchecked this will create traffic chaos.
“These apps provide a fantastic service and we understand that for every delivery driver there is a customer. It is a popular, much-needed service but we can’t allow the city to be swarmed with delivery drivers.
“We already make effective use of
‘These apps are a popular, much needed service but we can’t allow the city to be swarmed with drivers’
our planning powers. Policy will strengthen our hand in managing the flow of deliveries, tackling noise disturbances and anti-social behaviour.”
Among the top restaurants which have branched out into home delivery is Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Tamarind in Mayfair, and its sister restaurant Tamarind Kitchen in Soho.
Shoaib Malik, its manager, told The Daily Telegraph it does only a handful of deliveries every evening and the drivers carry out work “discreetly”.
“We probably get one or two orders throughout the night, and the one in Soho as well, so I don’t know where you’re going to get groups of people having a meeting.
“That could only happen in very congested areas in central London. I personally haven’t encountered it,” he said. “Maybe a lot of restaurants will suffer but I don’t think it will affect us.”
Upmarket delivery company Supper, which delivers Tamarind’s food as well as other top restaurants in Westminster such as Korean restaurant Koba, said it has a different model to other delivery apps.
“Drivers being employed by us have a base to come back to, so do not congregate on street corners or cause a public nuisance, particularly in Westminster,” said a spokesman.
“I’m not sure this new ruling will affect us immediately, but I guess it will be a further barrier for restaurants wanting to work with us going forward,” he said.
A spokesman for Ubereats said it was unaware of the proposals but would “welcome the opportunity to meet with Westminster City Council to discuss how we can work together.”