Residents in North London have raised concerns about an Indian restaurant's application to sell alcohol and stay open until 2am every day, citing fears it will worsen existing issues with anti-social behaviour, street drinking, and loitering. Rajdhani Express, a vegetarian Indian restaurant on Kingsbury Road in Brent, has applied for a licence to remain open until 2am Monday through Sunday and to sell alcohol from 11am to midnight. The premises, which features a street food selection at the front, intends to sell a range of alcoholic drinks including bottled beers, draft beers, spirits, and liquors to be consumed on site.
Resident's objections cite existing issues
The plan has received an objection from a Kingsbury resident, who claims the restaurant is already operating with a "highly cluttered, sprawling outdoor stall layout" that is "deteriorating the local high street environment." The objection also raises concerns about groups of men loitering outside, litter, and anti-social behaviour. The resident alleges that "frequent occurrences of groups of young men congregating immediately outside these retail footprints" have created a "localized nuisance" and subjected passing female residents to "inappropriate, intimidating sexual comments."
The objection further states: "The business has demonstrated a complete inability to maintain an orderly, tidy, and managed shopfront. Adding an alcohol licence to a retail setup that is already unmanaged and overflowing externally presents an immediate risk of escalating this public nuisance. This lack of clear sightlines will inevitably invite expanded anti-social behaviour, street drinking, and loitering. Furthermore, because the business fails to manage its existing external footprint, it cannot be trusted to control the additional litter, discarded bottles, and drink cans associated with off-sales of alcohol."
Applicant's response and proposed measures
In response, the applicant said that the restaurant takes the concerns of local residents seriously and is committed to operating the premises "in a responsible manner" to ensure the business "does not cause nuisance or disruption to the surrounding community." They also moved to "respectfully clarify" that, although there have been issues in the vicinity of the premises, there have been "no major incidents where customers, staff, or members of the public have been placed in a situation where they felt unsafe."
The applicant added: "Our management team takes its responsibilities seriously and makes every reasonable effort to deal promptly with any issues that arise. The team is experienced and fully capable of managing the premises and responding appropriately should any concerns occur." If approved, alcohol will only be sold from inside the restaurant, not from the external stalls, and will accompany food. The applicant also addressed the concerns regarding litter by claiming that most of it comes from the general public on the street but they will "try our best" to keep the area clean.
Licensing decision pending
They added: "Our intention is not to increase anti-social behaviour or cause inconvenience to local residents. On the contrary, we are putting additional measures in place, including the proposed security presence, to ensure that the premises are operated responsibly." The application will be reviewed by Brent Council's Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee at a meeting on September 15, where a decision on whether to approve the plans will be made.
