Issue - meetings

To consider an application to provide a licensable activity in the form of sale of Alcohol.

The Lead Licensing Officer, Daliah Barrett, presented her report to the Committee.

The Chair invited the objector, PC Coffey, to present his case to the Committee. PC Coffey read the following statement:

“I am a Police Officer engaged on the Seven Sisters Safer Neighbourhoods Ward Policing Team. The activities of this Policing Team are mostly concerned with the ‘traditional’ style of Policing, where community interaction has been re-introduced following the response style of Policing that has become the norm which has prevailed in inner city areas of the Metropolitan Police Area, in more recent years.

“The Ward area of Seven Sisters includes the shop premises known as ‘Polish Food and Wine’, situated at 78 High Road, Tottenham, N15. This is at the junction with Wargrave Avenue N15, a residential street which runs from the east footway of High Road N15 down as far as Grovelands Road N15, on the perifary of the borough boundary with Hackney. The proprietor of this shop is Mr Haci Korkut.

“Since the inception of the Team, in April 2006, it has become evident that there are community concerns associated with the retail premises in High Road N15, which sell alcohol. A population of street drinkers have converged into this area. I can say that this has occurred for the following reasons: the area is disproportionally populated with young Polish males: this area falls outside of the area, which is covered with a ‘street drinking ban’ under the CJPO Act.

“This had led to numerous complaints from residents, especially in the area of Wargrave Avenue N15. These have included a decline in the quality of life of residents who have for a lengthy period of time suffered from the following instances of anti social behaviour, at the hands of street drinking Eastern European males: noise, litter, fighting and arguments into the early hours of the morning, urination in gardens and alleys adjacent to residential premises. Resident complain that they have to clean up broken glass from alcohol containers in order to prevent injury to local child residents, and on a daily basis have to treat their property with disinfectant due to the stench of urine, left from the evening before. It is reported to Police that on occasions, these young men, ‘Paraletic on drink’, have collapsed and subsequently slept in front gardens. A fear is that challenging groups will lead to violent confrontation. Calls to the Police 999 system are not dealt with as an immediuate response. This is because the nature of the activites are not considered to be emergencies. This has led to complaints about Police handling of such situations.

“It is strongly felt by community members that there are sufficient outlets in the area, which allow the purchase of large stocks of alcohol, sufficient to last groups of up to ten in number, throughout the night. This has been brought to Police attention numerous times as residents feel completely intimidated by these groups. Concerns as to the welfare and vulnerability of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6