On Wednesday 21st of February, the Sutton council will convene to make a decision as to whether the fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), should open up a branch in Cheam Village.



Cheam Village is home to Henry VIII’s Mansion from the 16th century. It is a quaint location with small village shops, a beautiful park and mansion house all making it a truly desirable location for residents looking for a peaceful suburban retreat.

Residents of Cheam have been in uproar since it was announced that KFC was hoping to move into the old HSBC bank in the Broadway and start trading as a takeaway store.

Most objections centred on the notion that a KFC would be out of character for the area and would therefore negatively affect the setting of the local village. It is thought that in addition to increased traffic, and the potential for increased accidents, increased littering would be most undesirable.

Furthermore, given the government’s resolve to reducing obesity in young children, the idea of a fast-food takeaway being on the doorstep of 3 nearby schools was most unsatisfactory.

Johnny Douglas (15), a local student, said: “A KFC in Cheam wouldn't be beneficial as not only would it ruin the suburban landscape of the village, but it would also lead to more traffic on a road that is already extremely busy on weekdays in the morning and afternoon, causing more congestion and disturbing local residents.”

Despite these concerns in the consultation, neither Transport for London or the council's senior highways engineer raised any objection to the fast-food outlet.

Supporters of the proposal felt that the KFC would not have any detrimental impact on the appearance of the area and suggested that a popular fast-food outlet would be a convenient, logistical and beneficial proposal especially since the closest KFC currently is located almost 3 miles away. This KFC, in Sutton, is not easily accessible and therefore a KFC in Cheam would be more convenient for people looking for a local fried chicken takeaway.


We await the final decision from Sutton council as to whether KFC will open its doors to the local villagers.