Agenda and draft minutes

Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method.  Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the ‘meeting room’, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Chair referred to the filming of meetings and this information was noted.  

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business. (Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items will be dealt with under item 7 below).

There was no urgent business.  

There were no declarations of interest.  

The Sub-Committee will first hear from the Licensing Officer.  After that, the applicant will present their application and the Sub-Committee and objectors will have the opportunity to ask questions. Then, the objectors will present their case and the Sub-Committee and objectors will have the opportunity to ask questions. 

All parties will then have the opportunity to sum up, and then the meeting will conclude to allow the Sub-Committee to deliberate and reach a decision. This decision will then be provided in writing within five working days of this meeting.

The Chair provided a summary of the procedure for the meeting.  

To consider an application for a review of a premises licence.

Presentation by the Licensing Officer

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

·         The application had been submitted by an officer from the Noise and Nuisance team and related primarily to the objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance not being upheld at the premises.

·         The application contended that the premises had led to public nuisance from large numbers of patrons congregating outside on the pavement and fights taking place along with noise nuisance.

·         Section 1.3 of the report listed the timings on the current licence and the latest hours permitted on the premises.

·         The latest hours were permitted on a Friday and a Saturday Night.

·         The alcohol availability was for both on and off the premises only and alcohol had to be ancillary to a meal.

·         The premises was originally granted a licence in October 2024. It was a fairly small premises internally, but there was also a rear garden area to which patrons had access.

Presentation by the review applicant

Mr Craig Bellringer, Noise Officer, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·         He had first become aware of the premises through an anonymous e-mail to the Council that a patron inside the property that was frequenting the premises had been assaulted.

·         The Noise team and Licensing Enforcement made various visits past 01:00 – past the time that the premises should be closed including a half an hour drink up time.

·         Officers attended on five occasions. Every single time that officers attended, they had witnessed the premises staying open past 01:00, with no food being offered. No CCTV was made available to officers. People could be seen dancing. The front shutters were usually pulled down, so the premises appeared closed whilst it was not.

·         An SIA officer was present every time that officers had attended, but seemed to be present to control the entry of officers. A latch was put on the inside so officers could not open the door from the outside.

·         The DPS was never present.

·         A review application was submitted and officers attended the premises again on 21 September 2025 at around 01:00 and people were present drinking and dancing. No food was present with the drinks.

·         There was a half hour drink up time, which waws not adhered to.

·         Patrons were in the premises with their tops off. Some were observed to be asleep through alcohol consumption.

·         He did not believe that the DPS and the owners of the business were capable of upholding the licensing objectives and he would ask for the licence to be revoked.

·         The premises was being used as late-night drinking establishment and would still be open past 01:00 if they had not been found breaching the licence.

In response to questions, Mr Bellringer informed the Sub-Committee that:

·         On 8 June 2025, an SIA officer tried to deny entry into the premises and premises staff had apologised for the premises staying open. This behaviour was not consistent with a with a premises that upheld the licensing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider any items of urgent business as identified at item 3.

There were no new items of urgent business.