Fried chicken, beans and coleslaw will soon be available in Bracknell until the early hours.
KFC has been given the go-ahead to run its drive-thru on the A322 Bagshot Road until 2am, Monday to Sunday. The restaurant currently opens from 7am until 11pm; owners had applied to extend the drive-thru hours to 2am.
To mark the change, the branch has introduced three summer items: the 'pickle burger', the 'pickle loaded fries' and the 'pickle Pepsi Max'.
A spokesperson for KFC told the LDRS that the chain 'values being part of the Bracknell community' and 'is committed to being a good neighbour'.
At a planning meeting on Thursday, March 19, councillors decided KFC had done enough to allow the later opening. They also approved measures designed to prevent 'anti-social behaviour and misuse of the car park'.
Despite this, seven letters of objection were received. Councillors and residents raised concerns about noisy lorries delivering food, scooters collecting orders at about 1:45am, cooking odours entering homes and gardens, and light pollution from signage and headlights. One resident said the KFC planning statement was inconsistent given access to the site is one-way northbound.
Bracknell Town Council asked for the application to be refused, saying the restaurant already opens 13 hours a day, seven days a week, and that later hours would harm nearby residents, particularly families with children. BTC described operation until 2am as unreasonable in what it called a 'residential' area, even though the site is on a dual carriageway beside a sports centre and a petrol station that opens late; the nearest house is about 30m away.
KFC told the LDRS the Bracknell restaurant supports local initiatives, including regular team litter picks and a food donation programme, in partnership with FareShare, which ensures surplus food is redistributed to people in need in the community.
The borough council recommended approval despite the objections, on the condition that KFC fits dark glass to its first-floor windows facing south and implements a car park management plan. The committee voted seven in favour and three against.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
