The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council was scheduled to consider an application to vary the premises licence for Hayatt, a restaurant and bar located at 20-22 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8QU. The application sought to extend the venue's operating hours and amend certain conditions.

Application to Vary Premises Licence for Hayatt

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application by Sefatullah Rozikhel to vary the premises licence for Hayatt, located at 20-22 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8QU. The application, submitted on 17 January 2026, proposed extending the hours for late-night refreshment and the overall opening hours for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Specifically, the request was to extend late-night refreshment hours to 4:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00 am on Sundays, with corresponding extensions to the premises' opening hours. Additionally, the applicant sought to amend Condition 308 of the existing licence, which currently restricts new admissions after 2:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00 am on Sundays, to allow for exceptions for those temporarily leaving to smoke.

The report pack indicated that the application was referred to the sub-committee for determination due to outstanding representations from two Responsible Authorities ¹: the Metropolitan Police (Licensing Division) and the Council's Environmental Protection Team.

The Metropolitan Police, represented by PC Mark Lynch, raised concerns that the requested extended hours significantly exceed those recommended in the Southwark Statement of Licensing Policy (SoLP) and are beyond the hours already granted, which are in excess of the policy's recommendations. The police noted that the venue is situated in Camberwell, an area designated as a cumulative impact zone² due to increases in alcohol-led anti-social behaviour and crime. They expressed concern that extending the terminal hour and last entry time would exacerbate these issues, potentially leading to increased late-night anti-social behaviour and placing a greater demand on emergency services. The police believe that granting the variation would negatively impact the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder.

The Environmental Protection Team (EPT), represented by Raymond Binya, also made a formal representation. EPT highlighted that the premises is located within the Camberwell Cumulative Impact Area and that the existing hours already exceed the recommended terminal hours outlined in the SoLP for restaurants, public houses, and takeaways. The proposed extended hours were seen as a significant departure from policy, and EPT argued that the application did not satisfactorily demonstrate that the variation would not add to the cumulative impact in the area. EPT also raised concerns about potential public nuisance, stating that the proposed extended hours are highly likely to result in unacceptable noise disturbance from music, patron activity, customer arrival and dispersal, and external plant. They referenced previous noise complaints and ongoing resident concerns, supported by correspondence from solicitors acting for a local resident, which reinforced EPT's position on public nuisance, cumulative impact, and policy concerns. EPT recommended that the application be refused.

The report pack also detailed the premises' history, including previous licence variations and complaints received. It outlined the legal framework under the Licensing Act 2003, the council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026, and guidance from the Home Office. The report also touched upon climate change implications, community, equalities, and health impacts, though it noted that health impacts cannot be considered by law under the Licensing Act 2003.

The sub-committee was provided with appendices including the current premises licence, a copy of the application, representations from responsible authorities, and a map of the locality.