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.

Apologies had been received from Councillor Peacock. Councillor Amin was substituting in her place.

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 8 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 an existing premises licence.

Presentation by the Licensing Officer

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

·      This was not a variation application, but a new application.

·      The application was for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises between 10:00 to 23:00 every day. The premises would be open to the public from 09:00 to 23:59.

·      The application form stated that the premises was to be used for use for men only.

·      The application went through a consultation process and representations had been received from responsible authorities which were now withdrawn, but representations still stood from residents and Councillor Emily Arkell.

·      The Planning Officer in his representation had stated that the application was contrary to planning permission.

In response to questions, Ms Barrett informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      An agreement had been made with the Police that the premises would be open between 10:00 to 22:00.

Presentation by the applicant

Mr Michael Lambrou, applicant, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      The premises had been run for generations and had been passed down since 1989.

·      He and his partner ran five shops in the area.

·      The premises had never been a men’s-only premises and a nursery was located next door.

·      Around 60% to 70% of patrons were between 70 to 90 years old.

·      The premises had never had a problem with anybody and he knew the road very well.

·      He did not know where the understanding that the premises was to be a men’s only premises came from as anybody could come into the premises.

·      The premises served tea, coffee and sandwiches.

·      He had held premises licences most of his life and never had issues.

·      The Planning Officer who had submitted a representation had visited the premises on a hot day to find that the glass windows had been covered. The officer asked for curtains to be put up instead and this had been complied with.

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

·      Most of the customers were not heavy drinkers and would likely drink beer and Shandy up to 22:00. This was not a late hour.

·      There was concern that a late-night drinking establishment could cause an intimidating atmosphere to the women working on the road or walking down the road. However, many patrons were in their sixties and seventies and had great grandkids. These individuals kept a protective eye on people in the area and the patrons generally were very family oriented.

·      The premises prevented problematic individuals from going up and down the road. No noise had been caused to other individuals in the area.

·      The patrons were visiting the premises from within a three-mile radius. Generally, from Palmers Green or Wood Green and were largely from Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot backgrounds.

·      He had a good relationship with residents and businesses in the area including a woman who sold candles in the area.

·      He had not spoken to the nursery in the area, but they had raised no objection regarding the running of the premises with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider an application for an existing premises licence.

Presentation by the Licensing Officer

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

·      The application was seeking an increase of licensing hours on Friday for regulated entertainment from 22:00 to 01:00, late night refreshment from 23:00 to 01:00 and the sale of alcohol from 10:00 to 01:00 for consumption on the premises. The terminal hour for the closure of the premises would be 01:30.

·      Representations had been made from the Noise and Nuisance team and residents both in support and against the application.

·      There were residential properties in the surrounding area and the premises was located near to another licensed premises, a pub, which only operated on home matchdays for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

·      There was another licensed premises which also was a pub and this was located near the premises as well.

·      The Planning Officer had advised that the current planning permission only allowed for the premises to operate until 23:00 on any day and any proposal to play music, live concerts or amplified music required planning permission.

Presentation by the applicant

Mr Liam O’Hare, representative for the applicant and Ms Sarah Colgate, applicant, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      Since the premises had been taken over by the applicant a year ago, the applicant had transformed it from being a football matchday space to something more akin to the more traditional role the premises would have served in the past.

·      Open seven days a week, the applicant saw the premises as having the potential to offer a more diverse and exciting premises for the community.

·      Street parties for the King's coronation had been organised and a function room was offered free of charge for all of the community to use any day of the week. This had been done by building a space for everyone to feel at home and creating a space which was welcoming and fun. The premises had hosted wedding parties, children’s parties, school parties, Christmas parties and Sit and Paint evenings. Trader partnership evenings had also been held and this helped build and serve the community.

·      The applicant was seeking a couple of extra hours on Fridays.

·      Saturdays were run weekly since reopening with no negative impact on the licencing objectives. This must be apparent to the Sub-Committee as there were no responsible authorities present at the meeting. This was a vote of confidence from the experts on the present operation and the way it had conducted itself by promotion of the four key licencing objectives at the core of its operation.

·      The applicant recognised there was a planning informative, but believed there was no breach in planning regulation. The reasons raised by Planning and what it was trying to achieve by the proposed condition were ably protected by the Licencing Act.

·      Steps taken to address any noise issues had been agreed between the applicant and the Noise and Nuisance team. All of the conditions suggested were already in place operationally and had just been formalised by bringing them into the licence.

·      The Council's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

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