Greggs rejects council crime fears as it fights for right to open all night

The famous sausage roll retailer put in a bid to sell goods at the London outlet between 11pm and 5am last July Credit: PA

Greggs is preparing for a court showdown after the council rejected its bid to sell late-night snacks from a central London store.

The popular high street chain will now appeal against the decision in the hopes of being able to keep its doors open from 11pm to 5am at its Leicester Square venue.

Westminster City Council banned the central London bakery from opening later after police said allowing the chain an overnight licence would cause a spike in crime and disorder in the area.

Greggs opened its Leicester Square store last year, but the council denied the store permission to serve hot food 24 hours a day.

The retailer will now appeal against the decision to refuse an extended licence during a three-day hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court from May 16.

A spokesperson for Greggs said: “Greggs have been trying to extend their licence in order to serve hot food until later, around 3am, because it’s really in line with what local peers and restaurants are doing.

“There are restaurants down the road that are open until 3am serving their customers' hot food at all hours, Greggs is very keen to be able to offer customers their hot food favourites until that time.”

The ban applies to Greggs’ hot food menu, which requires extra licensing due to the fact food is kept hot in store but does not include the Greggs staple products of sausage rolls and pasties which are baked elsewhere and reheated in stores.

Instead, the appeal involves recently launched menu items such as potato wedges, chicken goujons, BBQ chicken bites and hot baguettes, which require special permissions from local authorities to be sold between 11pm and 5am.

Greggs will appeal against decision preventing store selling hot food after 11pm Credit: PA

Westminster City Council refused Greggs this licence last summer, saying: “The sub-committee concluded that the application would have the likely effect of an increase in crime and disorder in the area and an increased demand on police resources which are already stretched.”

Minutes from the licensing committee show that Metropolitan Police officer Thomas Stewart raised concerns that “a rise in licensable activities such as late-night refreshment could lead to an increase in criminal activities and anti-social behaviour”.

The licensing sub-committee added that Greggs had “failed to demonstrate how by selling hot food or hot drink in the West End cumulative impact zone that this would not add to the negative cumulative impact and promote the licensing objectives”.

Westminster Council told the Evening Standard that in order to successfully appeal against the ban “Greggs would need to try to convince the court that their evidence provides exceptional reasons for allowing the premises to operate until 5am, despite being located in a cumulative impact zone”.

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