Kingston Upon Thames (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Kingston Council has granted Vesuvio on the Road a 6-month street trading licence to sell pizza and drinks near St Pius X Church in Norbiton.
Despite 34 written objections to the plans, the license was approved by the council’s licensing committee following a hearing on July 29.
The loss of parking, the appropriateness of a pizza van so near a church, litter, and possible antisocial behavior were among the issues brought up by the protesters.
Father Alfred Ebalu and other church members were represented by Neil Zoladkiewicz, who stated that his primary complaint was that the site was “totally inappropriate” adjacent to a house of worship and would obstruct its view.
He said that parking in two spots outside the church would prevent the elderly and disabled from entering.
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 initially requested to run the van from 12 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, but only at the meeting was this lowered to 4.30 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays.
Vesuvio on the Road is owned by Alessandra Rea and her husband Vincenzo. Rea told the hearing that they would keep noise levels down, offer dumpsters for clients, clean the area before and after operating every day, and avoid attracting anti-social behavior because 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 chose to approve the license, albeit with somewhat shortened operating hours, enabling the pizza van to run Tuesday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
To address the concerns of objectors, members attached additional conditions to the license, such as prohibiting trading on Holy Days of Obligation and requiring seven days’ notice before a funeral takes place within a church.
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.”
How did Kingston Council decide to grant Vesuvio on the Road a street trading license?
Kingston Council’s licensing committee decided to grant Vesuvio on the Road a temporary six-month street trading licence to operate a pizza van by St Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Norbiton after a hearing on July 29, 2025.
This decision came despite receiving 34 written objections from local residents and church members who raised concerns about the loss of parking spaces, the appropriateness of having a pizza van near a place of worship, potential litter, and risks of anti-social behavior.
At the hearing, Vesuvio representatives committed to managing the site responsibly.