Residents of a North London neighbourhood have complained of ‘heavy charcoal smoke’ coming from a local takeaway shop, creating an ‘unpleasant and intrusive atmosphere’. The new owners have claimed that the ventilation system had ‘never been cleaned’ by their predecessor but are taking the ‘necessary steps’ to address the issue.
The complaints come as the new owners of Lebanese Grill, located on Station Road in Harlesden, have applied for a licence to open until 2am every night of the week. However, residents have also highlighted issues with litter, parking, and large groups hanging outside the premises late at night making it feel ‘less safe’.
Four residents have lodged their complaints to Brent Council ahead of the decision on whether to grant the licence. They claim the business is already causing ‘significant disruption’ to the area and extending its hours until the early morning would ‘further exacerbate these issues’.
The ‘continuous and heavy charcoal smoke’, which is said to ‘linger in the air’ into the early hours, is a particular bone of contention for many. One resident wrote: “Depending on the wind direction, this creates an unpleasant and intrusive atmosphere. It is unreasonable to expect the local community to tolerate this level of air pollution.”
Another added: “The smoke coming out of their exhaust pipe is unbearable. I believe it is too short, being below the rooftop level of the adjacent buildings the smoke remains trapped causing a big nuisance to all its neighbours.”
The restaurant’s agent, Innpacked, has acknowledged the issue and said it is ‘actively working to resolve the smoke issue’, which they claim is caused by a lack of maintenance from the previous owner. They added: “The ventilation system had never been cleaned, leading to excessive smoke build-up.
“We have taken the necessary steps to address this and are ensuring the system is thoroughly cleaned and properly maintained moving forward. We were dissatisfied with its previous condition, but we are committed to resolving the issue to the highest standard.”
However, a resident responded to suggest the ‘volume, density, and persistence’ of the smoke remains a ‘serious problem’ and is only one part of their overall objection. They also claim that there has been a noticeable increase in rubbish around the area, which has ‘increased markedly’ since the premises opened. One resident suggests the restaurant should be responsible for picking up the litter and use branded packaging to determine whether it’s successful.
Lebanese Grill has made efforts to keep the vicinity tidy, which has seen ‘some improvement’ – including putting up posters around the area to discourage littering on Station Road, Harley Road and Ranelagh Road – but one resident notes that many of them have fallen off and it ‘actually adds to the litter’.
According to residents there are further issues with parking and noise disturbances caused by ‘large groups of males gathering outside’ and loitering for extended periods. They claim this has resulted in increased noise and disruption, which has ‘despoiled the area’ making it feel ‘less safe’. Innpacked was approached for comment on the additional complaints but did not respond ahead of publication.
The application will be reviewed by Brent Council’s Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee next week (May 7), where a decision on whether to grant the licence will be made. There are no objections from either the police or the council’s licensing team.
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
