The site in Royal College Street, Camden Town 

A “DARK kitchen” operation delivering dishes for big-name chains has sparked a raft of objections after opening without planning permission.

Jacuna, a catering company that kits out and leases kitchens to restaurants, have converted storage arches and a café in Camden Town. Clients include Burger King, Chop Stix Noodles and Five Guys.

But the site in Royal College Street and behind Randolph Street has been called unsuitable by civic groups and neighbours. People living nearby say they have been unable to sleep due to noise, while cooking smells seep through their homes.

The council turned down a retrospective application and the company is appealing to a planning inspector to judge whether they can continue putting together delivery orders from the premises.

Two weeks ago, the New Journal reported how a Deliveroo dark kitchen in Swiss Cottage was due to close after a campaign by neighbours, but the operation lasted three years without full planning consent.

Jacuna have asked for 16 kitchen workspaces, extractor fans and access for delivery drivers via a yard in Randolph Street to be given approval. The site would operate from 8am to midnight every day.

Kathryn Gemmell, chair of TRACT (Tenants Residents Associations, Camden Town), said: “Residents have been hit by noise and odours since the premises started operating without planning approval. This type of business is more suited to an industrial estate.”

In its retrospective application, Jacuna said its business model reflects changing habits and that younger people do not use restaurants. Instead, this delivery service will, they claim, help struggling caterers lower their overheads without the need for high street premises.

It said it had installed machinery to mitigate noise and smells and that it had believed the arches were free to use without any change of use permission required.

But neighbour Pip Sherratt said: “I am the owner of a flat directly opposite this awful dark kitchen and I strongly object to the illegal existing set-up and proposed plans.

“The noise of the ugly extractor fans, combined with the revolting odours, have meant my windows have to be kept shut all the time.

“The noise and smell levels are interfering with sleep. I’m baffled as to how Jacuna has been allowed to get away with it for so long.”

The site in Camden Town

Another resident, Dan Gibson, said the firm were damaging Camden Town’s night-time economy.

He said: “I don’t believe that Jacuna is offering a new ‘Gen Z’ way of ordering food, merely a way of cutting costs and undercutting long-standing local restaurants.”

Planning chief Labour Councillor Danny Beales said: “Camden Council has robust planning policies in place to ensure we protect residents from unsuitable uses and make sure all developments are managed in the best interest of our communities.

“In this case we had strong concerns about Jacuna’s ability to operate from this site without creating noise disturbance or endangering the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

“We have refused their retrospective application for planning permission and served an enforcement notice. We will be robustly defending this position at appeal.”