Agenda and 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 for absence 

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 were no items of urgent business.

There were no declarations of interest.

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

Ms Daliah Barrett, Licensing Team Leader, confirmed: 

·      The application was for a new premises licence.

·      The applicant was seeking operating hours set out at 1.2 in the report. The applicant sought licensable activity until 01:00 Sunday-Thursday and up to 03:00 on Friday and Saturday night.  The hours the premises would be open to the public would be the same hours requested for licensable activity.

·      There was no facility for a drinking-up time and alcohol sales for were for consumption on the premises only. 

·      The premises would be operated as café / restaurant on the ground floor only and any indoor seating areas would be used to sit down to consume food and alcohol. 

·      The premises was visited on 25 September 2021 and alcohol was found to be on sale. The vacant middle area of the premises was being used as a Shisha lounge by patrons and the consumption of alcohol.

·      It was against the law to smoke inside an enclosed premises.

·      The applicant had offered conditions in relation to the application. There was also a letter on page 45 of the agenda papers from the London Fire Authority.

·      The premises was situated on the High Road - next door to a Betfred.

·      It was not clear from the applicants if the middle vacant room was supposed to be a licensed area.

·      Following a visit on 25 September 2021, concerns had been raised regarding the smoking and the adequate measures of fire escape.

·      There were issues relating to the Planning, Fire Safety and Food Health and Safety departments.

·      The Fire Authority addressed the situation and issued a warning to the applicant. It was understood that there was no evidence of a suitable sufficient fire risk assessment, no emergency lighting or escape signage. There were issues regarding the travel distance of individuals regarding an escape strategy as the front door was not adequate by itself as an emergency exit.

·      There was no evidence that the material covering the smoking-room, ceiling and the furniture in the main room was either of non or highly inflammable material.

·      Since officers had visited the premises, the applicant had informed that he was not intending to use the vacant middle room as a shisha lounge. The Planning Authority had advised that the premises did have relevant planning permission for the proposed use, but this had expired in February 2020. Therefore, the premises would have to apply for new planning permission if it was to be used as a café.

·      The applicant had advised that the premises would not be used as a shisha smoking area.

·      There were residential properties above the premises.

·      The premises has no planning permission as an A3 unit.

·      The temporary planning permission that had been in place for an ‘A3’ premises had expired in 2020.

·      The Planning Authority had advised that a new application needed to be submitted if the premises was to be operated as ‘A3’ and a separate application would be required if one of the rooms was to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

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

There were no items.