McDonald’s has applied to serve late-night food and drink until 2am seven days a week at its restaurant in Welling, south-east London.
If approved, the branch at 38 Bellegrove Road would be able to provide hot food and drinks beyond its current closing hours. However, the proposal does not mean customers would be able to sit inside the restaurant until 2am.
According to a public notice for the application, the eat-in service would close daily at midnight, with late-night refreshments only available via delivery after this point.
The application was submitted on September 7, 2026, by Galmés Limited — trading as McDonald’s Restaurant — for a premises licence covering ‘late-night refreshment’. If granted, it would allow hot food and drink for consumption both on and off the premises between 11pm and 2am every day.
Under the Licensing Act 2003, providing hot food or hot drinks between 11pm and 5am counts as a licensable activity. As a result, establishments such as late-night takeaways can require a premises licence before they are allowed to trade in those hours. The move comes as councils across London continue to tighten licensing rules — Croydon, for example, has brought in new landlord licensing schemes for thousands of rental homes.
Have your say
The application is currently open for public representations, with the proposed hours yet to be confirmed through the licensing process.
Anyone wishing to make a representation has until October 5, 2026, to do so in writing. Bexley Council has said anyone can comment on a licensing application while it is open for consultation, provided the representation is made in writing and received by the closing date.
The council has stressed that representations must be made in writing and received by the closing date, so residents who want to have their say will need to act before October 5.
If no valid representations are received, the licensing authority must grant the application, although it can be subject to conditions. If valid representations are received, a hearing must be held, at which the licence can be granted, amended with conditions or rejected.
Current opening hours
At present, the Welling branch operates from 6am until 11pm seven days a week — a 17-hour trading day. If the licence is granted, hot food and drink could be served for a further three hours each night, although after midnight it would be delivery only.
The restaurant is situated near Welling railway station and the town centre, and the outcome of the application could see a change in the late-night food options available in Welling — part of a wider shake-up of the capital’s food and drink scene that includes the UK’s first train station food hall set to open at London Victoria. The decision now lies in the hands of the licensing authority and the residents who choose to make representations.
