A family business has won a battle to open a pizza van outside a South London church, despite concerns the location is 'inappropriate'. Kingston Council has granted Vesuvio on the Road a temporary six-month street trading licence to park a pizza van by St Pius X Roman Catholic Church, in Norbiton, to sell food and soft drinks to customers.

The council's licensing committee granted the licence after a hearing on July 29, despite receiving 34 written objections to the plans. Objectors raised concerns about loss of parking, the suitability of a pizza van so close to a church, litter and potential anti-social behaviour.

Neil Zoladkiewicz, representing members of the church, including Father Alfred Ebalu, said his main objection was that the location was "totally inappropriate" next to a place of worship and would block its view. He said parking on two spaces outside the church would block access for disabled and elderly people.

Mr Zoladkiewicz said: "However well managed and run, it would create a totally different environment around the church which is currently a calm and relatively peaceful environment."

He added: "The presence of a pizza van would encourage gatherings and consequent opportunities for anti-social behaviour reoccurring. In recent months, there has been significant progress in reducing such anti-social behaviour."

Veusvio on the Road originally applied to operate the van from 12pm to 10pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays, but reduced this to 4.30pm to 10pm on Tuesdays to Fridays only at the meeting.

Alessandra Rea, who runs Vesuvio on the Road with her husband Vincenzo, told the hearing they would clean the area before and after trading each day, provide bins for customers, keep noise levels low and would not attract anti-social behaviour as their customers were local families. 

Ms Rea said: "Our presence does not interfere with the regular access and we guide customers to choose safely without blocking pavement or road. We are always present and actively maintain the site to avoid safety concerns."

She added: "Vesuvio on the Road is a small business built on hard work, family values and a love for good food. We are respectful, clean and flexible and we are asking for just six months to prove that we can operate responsibly in this space."

The committee decided to grant the licence but with slightly reduced hours, allowing the pizza van to operate from 5.30pm to 10pm on Tuesdays to Fridays. Members added extra conditions to the licence to address objectors' concerns, including banning trading on Holy Days of Obligation and when funerals take place inside the church if it gives seven days' notice.

Independent councillor James Giles said: "This is a temporary licence for six months. The onus is on the applicant to prove that it works in this location. If there's the emergence of too much noise, anti-social behaviour, smells, it will not get a permanent licence and, in the interim, in those six months, if smells, noise, ASB emerges, there are statutory measures that the council can take to put a stop to them."