Locals clash with shoppers over Harrods alfresco move
Harrods wants to have seating for 100 more people at its outdoor café to make the most of summer weather.
The move is backed by many shoppers but has sparked a row with residents who say it will lead to an increase in rubbish, vermin, noise, drunkenness and begging.
The store has applied for permission from Kensington and Chelsea council to put 100 chairs and 25 tables on the pavement. Currently the Ladurée café and restaurant, on the corner of Basil Street and Hans Road, has 18 tables and 36 chairs.
Objectors claim the move will force passers-by onto the road.
Resident Jane Heller said: "This is not an 'alfresco' area and residents are entitled to a traditional, quiet environment."
Fadhel and Margaret Khan, who also live nearby, wrote to the council complaining that the extension "is bound to result in increased litter, not to mention left-over food and smells at tables which will undoubtedly attract flies and other insects, leading to health hazards and other problems for neighbouring residents".
But at the café, where a club sandwich costs £15 and tea in a silver pot £2.80, diners were enthusiastic.
Gailan Sahmoud, 28, a mother-ofthree visiting from Cairo, said: "They should definitely have more tables so people can enjoy the sunshine. It's not like it's a nightclub, with loud music and people dancing on tables."
Her mother Einass Nasser, 49, said: "Even on a cloudy day I'd rather sit out in the fresh air. Now England has a smoking ban everywhere, we smokers need somewhere to go."
Irish chef Johan Van Der Merwe, 33, said: "It's really cool to be able to eat outside. It makes such a difference to the dining experience."
A spokesman for Harrods said it aimed to cater to Middle-Eastern visitors who liked to sit outside, adding: "With the limited opportunities for outdoor eating and drinking in Knightsbridge, this proposal would benefit locals and visitors."
The café is open until 9pm from Monday to Saturday. Harrods wants to keep it open an hour later in July and August. Kensington and Chelsea is expected to grant temporary permission subject to a contribution of £750,000 for highway improvements.
THE LAWS ON EATING OUTDOORS
ALFRESCO dining in London comes served with a mountain of red tape.
Traders who want to put tables and chairs on the public highway must apply for permission from the council and pay a fee. They need a street trading licence and, if serving alcohol, an extension to their liquor licence.
How rigorously these rules are enforced varies between boroughs, as they try to balance continental-style café culture with concerns about noise, rowdiness and blocked pavements. Although most councils claim to like the idea of outdoor dining, many restaurateurs find it difficult to get permission.
Last month, King's Road traders were told to remove billboards, tables, chairs and flowerpots from the street in front of their businesses or pay a licence fee. Barnet is planning to grant permission only if enough space is left for pushchairs and wheelchairs to pass.
