The Licensing Sub-Committee of Havering Council was scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence for Caprino's Pizza. The meeting's agenda also included procedural matters related to hearings under the Licensing Act 2003.

Application for a Premises Licence - Caprino's Pizza

The main item scheduled for discussion was an application for a premises licence for Caprino's Pizza, located at 185 St Mary's Lane, Upminster RM14 3BU. This application was made by Crostata Limited under section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003. The application sought to permit the provision of late-night refreshment between 11:00 PM and midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

The report pack indicated that the applicant had engaged with responsible authorities, including the Licensing Authority, the Police, and Havering's Noise Team. During the consultation period, the application was modified to reduce the proposed hours of operation and to include additional conditions.

While there were no representations against the application from local residents or businesses, there was an outstanding representation from Havering's Noise Team. The noise officer had engaged in mediation with the applicant, but fully agreed terms of modification had not been reached. The report pack detailed the proposed conditions, including:

• No music shall be played outside the restaurant at any time.
• Music levels within the restaurant shall be background level only.
• Clear signs shall be visible requesting customers keep noise to a reasonable level, and to be mindful of neighbouring residential premises.

A key point of discussion was the requirement for a written Noise Management Policy to be agreed with the Public Protection Team before delivery of takeaway orders commenced after 11:00 PM. This was intended in order to protect neighbouring residential properties from unreasonable noise after 23.00 hours.

Procedure for Licensing Act 2003 Hearings

The meeting was also scheduled to cover the procedure for hearings conducted under the Licensing Act 2003. This report, prepared by the Clerk, outlined the steps involved in considering premises licence applications where relevant representations have been made. The report detailed the options available to the authority, which include modifying licence conditions, rejecting the application in whole or in part, or granting the application if no steps are deemed necessary.

The procedure included information on the membership of the Sub-Committee, the roles of other participants such as the Legal Advisor and Clerk, and arrangements for location and facilities. It also outlined the notification of attendance, procedural matters such as the introduction of the application, the presentation of documentary evidence, and the sequence in which parties would be invited to address the Sub-Committee. The report also covered aspects such as cross-examination, the relevance of information, failure of parties to attend, adjournments, the Sub-Committee's determination, the power to exclude people from hearings, and the recording of proceedings. The licensing objectives, which are central to these hearings, are: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm.