Swanley Service Station on London Road wants to sell alcohol round the clock and hot food overnight. Six neighbours object; councillors decide on 8 October.

The petrol station on London Road, Swanley, wants to sell alcohol 24 hours a day. Six neighbours have objected, and a council licensing panel will decide the bid on Thursday 8 October.

The forecourt shop, licensed as Swanley Service Station, can sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm at present. Its licence holder, Highway Stops Retail Limited, has applied to vary the licence. (Sevenoaks District Council, committee report, Licensing Hearing 8 October 2026)

What the company wants

The application asks for four changes:

  • alcohol sales 24 hours a day, every day, instead of 6am to 11pm
  • late-night refreshment, meaning hot food and drink, from 11pm to 5am every day
  • the removal of two existing conditions, on proof of age and on keeping spirits behind the counter
  • a new set of conditions it has written itself

The form says the late-night food and drink would be served inside, “but customers may leave the premises with items purchased”. It also gives the shop’s opening hours as round the clock. Alcohol would be for consumption off the premises only, as now. (Appendix A, application to vary a premises licence)

Bar chart of licensed hours at Swanley Service Station. Alcohol is licensed from 6am to 11pm now; the application asks for 24 hours. Late-night hot food and drink is not licensed now; the application asks for 11pm to 5am.
The hours now and the hours applied for. Graphic by Sevenoaks Online
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The conditions that would change

The current licence, issued in March 2024, carries five conditions of its own. Two would go. (Appendix B, current premises licence 24/00743/LAPDPS)

  • Proof of age. The shop now runs a scheme “such as Challenge 21”. The new wording would have cashiers ask anyone who appears to be under 25 for a passport or photocard driving licence.
  • Spirits. All spirits must now sit behind the counter. The new wording says only that there shall be “no self-service of spirits except for spirit mixtures”.

The company offers these further conditions in its application:

  • an incident log recording crime, disorder and visits by the police or other authorities, kept for 12 months
  • if only one member of staff is on duty between midnight and 6am, the door shuts and sales go through a night pay window
  • signs about the age check at the till and at any night window
  • training for all staff who sell alcohol, with a refresher at least every six months

The CCTV condition, the refusals register and the notices asking customers to leave quietly would stay.

Who objected, and why

The council consulted from 17 August to 11 September. Kent Police and the council’s environmental health team both replied with no objection. Kent Fire and Rescue, Trading Standards, planning, public health and the other statutory bodies made no comment.

Six residents lodged representations against it. The council publishes them with names and addresses redacted in part. We are not naming them. Their main points are:

  • homes are close to the site, which one letter puts at about 10 metres and another at 12 feet
  • the exit is on Crescent Gardens, a residential street, and houses on Woodview Road back onto it
  • noise from cars, motorbikes, deliveries, the forecourt loudspeaker and the air and vacuum machine
  • the forecourt lights, which already shine into neighbouring homes
  • litter, and fears of drinking in nearby roads and anti-social behaviour overnight
  • a 24-hour garage and a supermarket open late are already a short distance away

One resident said bottles and cans had been thrown into their garden, breaking a window, and that they hold a police report. Another said they “look forward to 11pm when the garage closes”. Those are the residents’ own accounts; the council report does not test them. (Appendix D, representations, redacted)

Licensing officers say it is “unlikely” the application will be settled by mediation before the hearing.

What the panel can do

The Licensing Sub-Committee must judge the bid against the four licensing objectives:

  • prevention of crime and disorder
  • public safety
  • prevention of public nuisance
  • protection of children from harm

The report lists its options as:

  • grant the variation as applied for
  • grant it with changed or added conditions
  • grant it with shorter hours
  • refuse it

The applicant and anyone who made a relevant representation can appeal to the magistrates’ court within 21 days of being told the decision.

What it means for residents

The consultation has closed, so no new representations can be made. The hearing starts at 10.30am on Thursday 8 October in the Council Chamber, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks. (Sevenoaks District Council, Licensing Hearing agenda, 8 October 2026)

We will report the decision once the council publishes it. At the Kings Arms, Westerham, the written notice took weeks to appear: our report on that hearing. Our planning this week roundup lists the other licence applications open for comment in the district.

Sources

Image: London Road, Swanley by David Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph. The photo shows the road, not the petrol station.