Agenda item

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 the people involved have come to the attention of this team. Instances of Polish males wandering in the middle of the road completely oblivious to the dangers of passing vehicles, have been dealt with by this Policing Team. In addition to this, intelligence suggests that individuals are prone to assault and robbery, being easily identifiable as intoxicated, unable to effectively communicate with the emergency services, and often carrying their cash on their person, not having sufficient community ties to have established banking facilities. Intelligence suggests that such attacks go largely unreported.

“The problems have now become so severe that we the Police have had to generate a leaflet in the Polish language  about the various offences they may be committing, and how they place themselves in a position of vulnerability.

“The Policing Team’s objectives are set by a Ward Panel, made up of those who live and work in the ward.

“These priorities are set following a period of oublic consultation. In October 2006, the main issue concerning residents of this Ward was drug and alcohol misuse. This was accordingly set as the main priority for the Ward Policing Team to tackle for the following six months.

“It is my view, based on the many documented concerns of residents of Wargrave Avenue, that allowing an application for the sale of Alcohol at ‘Polish Food and Wine’ 78 High Road, Tottenham, N15 would be a huge set back not only to the community but also the Policing Team who are having to spend much needed resourses and time in dealing with drunkenness and anti social behaviour associated with drunkenness, by the groups of males who are responsible for street drinking in this area. Sufficient retail outlets with 24 hour licensing exist in the area, at present.

“On Friday 10^th November 2006 I attended the retail outlet known as ‘Polish Food and Wine’ with The local authority’s Environmental Crime Enforcement Team. This was in response to complaints from residents of Wargrave Avenue N15. These complaints specifically referred to commercial waste which had not been picked up from the shop in months. On arrival at the shop it became immediately apparent the problems the residents were talking about. The side of the shop located on Wargrave Avenue itself was completely overloaded with waste approximately 8ft high in the rear of the premises. I witnessed much of this waste, comprising paper, card and plastic, being blown into Wargrave Avenue and in turn into the busy High Road. I was approached my a member of the public who stated that this problem had attracted rats and some residents even felt that it was not safe for their own children to play out in the street. On entering the shop Myself and the  Environmental Crime Enforcement Team spoke with Mr Haci Korkut regarding possible offences he was commiting in running his two shops. It was pointed out to Mr Korcut that the reason the waste had not been collected was due to the fact he had stopped paying his waste contract. Numerous other offences with regards to Health and Safety were pointed out to Mr Korcut including Fire hazards with the amount of waste completely covering any exits and the problems with the rats his premises were attracting. Mr Korcut was subsequently issued with a number of fixed penalties for offences. These highlighted his complete disregard for the the impact of his business on his resident community neighbours.”

RESOLVED

The Committee decided to reject the application in full due to the Committee Members’ personal knowledge of the area and the evidence of the police officer and letters from other interested parties. It was clear in the Committee’s mind that the premises already attracted alcohol related anti-social behaviour with evidence of people congregating outside of the premises and that to allow the supply of alcohol would cause further problems. Granting a license would not uphold the objectives of the Licensing Act 2003, especially the crime and disorder, and public nuisance clauses. There was evidence that alcohol related anti-social behaviour in the neighbouring shop which is owned by the same applicant with evidence of urination and vomiting from young males sleeping residents’ front gardens after purchasing from the shop.