Agenda item

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:

·      The application sought regulated entertainment and recorded music Monday to Sunday, 09:00 to 23:00, Late Night Refreshment Monday to Sunday 23:00 to 23:30 and the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 09:00 23:00.

·      Representations had been received from two local residents and one resident withdrew their representation.

·      The application had been made under Gourmet Burger Kitchen UK Limited.

·      The application could be found from page 117 of the agenda papers and a plan of the premises could be found on page 139 of the agenda papers.

Presentation by the applicant

Mr Alex Tomlinson and Mr Richard Pigott, representatives for the applicant, informed the Sub-Committee that:

·      The premises was part of a wider Popali group who owned other brands such as Carluccio's, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Ed's Easy Diner. They currently owned about 30 Slim Chickens across the UK. All of them were trading well and with the permission to sell alcohol.

·      The applicant had taken on the lease of the new site and it was open and currently trading. It had been doing so since 1 December 2024 and had been doing so without any issues.

·      The premises had been previously licenced. The previous operator had surrendered the licence when they should have transferred the licence to the applicant. The applicant was looking to replicate the previous licence.

·      The applicant had applied for the exact same hours and conditions as the previous licence.

·      The business was like a premium brand based around American style fried chicken and would sell alcohol, but with a limited offering - only bottled beer. Sales of which amounted to less than 5% of revenue. However, the 5% was still important and could make a difference as to the success of the business.

·      The alcohol was to sold be ancillary to food.

·      The premises had been open and was trading with no issues so far.

·      There did not appear to be anyone in the locality of having any issues with the premises being open.

·      The applicant was happy to continue to liaise with the local community if need be.

·      Unfortunately, the applicant had not been able to have any correspondence with the remaining objector, but did contact one of the objectors and who was happy with the conditions.

·      The hours, the style of the business, the conditions offered were adequate for the nature of the premises and they would ask that the Sub-Committee grant the application as sought. 

 

In response to questions, Mr Tomlinson and Mr Pigott informed the Sub-Committee that:

 

·           Gourmet Burger Kitchen was the premises licence holder and had subsidiary businesses. These included Carluccio's, Ed's Easy Diners and Slim Chickens. The applicant operated multiple sites across the UK.

·           Slim Chickens had about 62 sites in total in the UK. The company as a whole had 120 premises in the UK and 4050 worldwide.

·           Bottled beer was what would be sold at the premises. Sometimes it was served in cans, but otherwise the alcohol sold would be limited. There were no draught products or wine.

·           Unless the patrons were seated in the small external area in front of the premises, consumption of alcohol on the premises would only be to a person seated ordering a meal. For alcohol supplied for consumption off the premises, the containers would be sealed containers only and only supplied ancillary to their meal.

·           The additional hours applied for on special days such as New Year’s Eve were not to operate all night, but to provide flexibility. Any ‘event days’ or big occasions would be risk assessed to make sure that there would be no noise disturbance in the area.

·           On the plan, there was an external area to the front and if the application was granted, then the applicant would apply for a tables and chairs licence.

 

To summarise, Mr Tomlinson stated that he would like the application to be granted as sought. The measures were proportionate and adequate for the style of operation.

At 7:20pm, the Sub-Committee withdrew to consider the application.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Licensing Sub Committee carefully considered the application for a new premises licence for Gourmet Burger Kitchen (UK) Limited at Slim Chickens 133 High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6BB. In considering the application, the Committee took account of the London Borough of Haringey’s Statement of Licensing Policy, the Licensing Act 2003, the Licensing Act 2003 Guidance, the report pack (including the Additional Papers) and the applicant’s and objectors’  representations. 

 

Having carefully considered the application and heard from all the parties, the Sub-Committee decided to GRANT the application as requested subject to the conditions below.  

 

Regulated Entertainment: Recorded Music 

Monday to Sunday 0900 to 2300 hours 

 

Late Night Refreshment 

Monday to Sunday 2300 to 2330 hours 

 

Sale of Alcohol 

Monday to Sunday 0900 to 2300 hours 

 

Supply of alcohol ON and OFF the premises. 

 

All licensable activates on New Year's Eve - from the end of permitted hours on New Year's Eve to the start of permitted hours on New Year's Day. 

 

Hours open to Public 

 

Monday to Sunday 0900 to 2330 hours 

 

New Year's Eve - from the end of permitted hours on New Year's Eve to the start of permitted hours on New Year's Day. 

 

REASONS 

 

The premises is an end of terrace restaurant with residential above part and Alexandra Road a residential road to the side.  Martin’s Walk is a footpath leading from Alexandra Road to Mayes Road behind the southward portion of The Mall. 

 

The premises had had the benefit of a licence issued to Itsu, but that licence was surrendered in April 2024 and Itsu has ceased trading from the premises. 

 

The current application is for a licence in the same terms as that issued to Itsu. 

 

Responsible authorities 

No objections were made by Responsible Authorities  

 

 

Resident objections 

There were two objections by residents.  Following mediation with the Applicant, one objection was withdrawn prior to the hearing. 

 

The remaining objection, by two persons resident in a ground floor flat on Alexandra Road raised concerns about experiencing anti-social behaviour involving drink and drugs; including people with problem drinking hanging around the corner of their road and urinating in Martin’s Walk.  They found the idea of a late night drinking place at the end of their road scary, and felt that “buying the odd chicken drumstick to permit you to drink from 09:00am to 11:00pm is a recipe for disaster”. 

 

The objectors did not attend the hearing. 

 

At the hearing 

 

The Applicant was represented by a solicitor and by the Operations Director of the Boparan Restaurant Group (“the Group”), owner of the Applicant and of the Slim Chickens chain among others. 

 

The representative emphasised that the Applicant was an experienced licensee; the Group owns around 120 restaurants in the UK, of which 30 are Slim Chickens. 

 

The Applicant would have taken a transfer of the Itsu licence had it not been surrendered; but the application sought to replicate the terms of that licence.  The restaurant is currently operating at the premises, albeit without an alcohol offering. 

 

Slim Chickens’ operational style is that of a premium fast food restaurant, based around American fried chicken.  It has a very limited alcohol offering, limited to bottled (or sometimes canned) beers; no draught beers or wine.  Alcohol makes up only around 5% of its sales; and it is sold in sealed containers solely ancillary to food; either in the restaurant or with a takeaway. 

 

The Applicant was happy to reach out to the community to deal with any issues that arise. 

 

The Panel 

In the light of the submissions made by the Applicant’s representative the Panel came to the view that the conditions offered by the Applicant adequately upheld the licensing objectives of prevention of public nuisance and of disorder notwithstanding the concerns expressed in the remaining objection. 

 

CONDITIONS 

The licence is to be granted subject to the additional conditions offered in section 18 paragraphs (b)-(e) of the application. 

 

 

INFORMATIVE 

The Applicant indicated that in the event that this licence was granted, it would seek a table and chairs licence for the outside area shown on the plan accompanying the application and referred to in the conditions.