Issue - meetings

To consider an application for a new premises licence.   

Presentation by the Licensing Officer

Ms Daliah Barrett, Licensing Team Leader, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      This was an application for a new premises licence.

·      The application sought sale of alcohol Monday to Sunday 07:00 to 23:00 With alcohol for off sales only at the premises.  

·      The application submitted had put forward various conditions that are put forward. There were conditions for CCTV, refusal logs, age verification conditions, a Challenge 25 scheme and there was also a section on how alcohol delivery would be managed.

Presentation by the applicant

The applicant’s representative Mr Nick Semper and Mr Mo Rahman, the applicant, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      The applicant had applied for a licence through his company. He was an experienced and successful food retailer and was seeking authorisation to enhance the offering to his existing customer base with the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises.

·      Sales would be during normal hours of operation for a business of a convenience store serving the local community with a provision of wide range of groceries and other home produce for purchase in the store and available by delivery.

·      The safeguards proposed within the operating schedule were intended to ensure that licencing objectives were robustly promoted.

·      Standing against the application was solely the Police who observed that the off licence would be supplying alcohol from 07:00 and were located on a high street with several primary schools nearby - with one secondary school. They felt that the mornings would be subject to  numerous school children passing by on West Green Road. The Police also thought that the children on the way to school would routinely see customers purchasing alcohol and standing outside the premises or in the nearby vicinity. They also believed that as a that a licenced premises, selling alcohol from 07:00 undermined the Clear, Hold, Build initiative in Tottenham which targeted individuals causing crime and anti-social behaviour, thus having an adverse impact on the local community. In order to dissuade the risk of harm to children, Police suggested that while the premises may open at 07:00, the supply of alcohol should start at 09:00.

·      The applicant had agreed the Police amendment to the conditions regarding CCTV immediately and to counter their worries, the applicant offered conditions on a ‘without prejudice’ basis that the licence holder would join and participate in any active responsible retailing scheme operating in the local area and that no lager, beer or cider exceeding 6.5% abv would be stocked or sold with exception of craft beers and artisan products, no matter the time of day.

·      The Police had objected to the two additional proposed conditions as they concluded that the sale of alcohol at 07:00 would risk causing early morning street drinking and this would be seen by school children passing by. Consequently, the applicant withdrew the offer.

·      The applicant had not asked for special treatment, the applicant asked to be treated the same as other operators and not be disadvantaged with regard to every other operator in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7