Woody Express takeaway granted later hours but not outdoors

Having recently combined 103 and 105 The Parade into a single unit, Woody Express Watford has sought a new premises licence which would let it offer food until 5am each morning.

Through the licensing process, this was reduced to 3.30am Monday to Thursday, 4am Friday and Saturday, and 2am on Sunday nights, but environmental health and a neighbour still had fears over noise for residents upstairs.

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This triggered a hearing with Watford Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee, which was held on February 6. The minutes and decision for the meeting were published yesterday (February 14).

The committee decided that the conditions agreed during the process and the applicant’s “clear understanding of the licensing legislation, objectives, and requirements” were enough to signal that the owner would be “a responsible operator”.

However, after hearing from a council environmental health officer, who highlighted that customers using the outdoor seating could disturb nearby residents, further conditions were attached to the licence.

Woody Express prior to merging the units.

These mean that doors and windows must stay shut except for immediate entrance/exit and outdoor seating must not be usable after 10pm. The officer’s concern was that Woody Express could become a “late-night focal point and result in a public nuisance” and that just asking people sat outside “to be quiet” would not work.

Notices must also go up telling delivery drivers collecting orders to arrive “quietly and considerately”, and not leave engines running.

Woody Express. (Image: Stephen Danzig)

The kebab shop already has an existing licence for the original part of the unit, but it has always closed at around 3am to 3.15am each day except for Sunday nights.

There are seven flats above the takeaway as well as many others nearby and, after expanding, Woody Express now has indoor seating for 26 people and outdoor seating for 40.

The takeaway’s representative at the hearing argued that the business provided a service by offering food for late-night workers and those leaving late-night bars.