The Licensing Sub-Committee (2) of Westminster Council met on Thursday 16 April 2026 to consider two applications for new premises licences. The committee granted a new premises licence for Taco Bell on Edgware Road, allowing extended late-night refreshment hours, but imposed several conditions. For Leconfield House on Curzon Street, the committee granted a new premises licence, allowing for a range of licensable activities including late-night refreshment until 5 am, despite significant objections from residents and environmental health concerns.

Taco Bell, 346-348 Edgware Road, London, W2 1EA

The committee granted a new premises licence for Taco Bell, located at 346-348 Edgware Road, London, W2 1EA, allowing for late-night refreshment from 11 pm to 5 am, seven days a week. The premises will be open to the public from 10 am to 5 am daily.

The application had faced objections from the Metropolitan Police Service and Environmental Health Service. The police raised concerns about insufficient detail in the operating schedule to promote licensing objectives and noted that the requested hours exceeded Westminster's Core Hours Policy. Environmental Health Service also represented that the extended hours would likely cause an increase in public nuisance and potentially impact public safety.

Despite these objections, the committee granted the licence with a comprehensive set of conditions. These included the installation and maintenance of a CCTV system, a direct telephone number for the manager to be publicly available, staff training on conflict management, and a StaffSafe™ system for 24-hour remote supervision. Crucially, a new bespoke condition was added requiring an hourly litter pick outside the premises during operating hours, and that all windows and external doors be kept closed after 11 pm, except for immediate access and egress. The applicant also agreed to surrender the existing premises licence upon the granting of the new one.

The committee noted that the premises is not located within a Cumulative Impact Area or Special Consideration Zone, and that the applicant, Taco Time Limited, is an experienced operator with no history of premises licence reviews. Temporary Event Notices (TENs) had been used to evidence that trading later hours would not create issues, and expert witness evidence supported the claim that there would be no adverse effects from increased hours.

Leconfield House, Curzon Street, London, W1J 5JA

The committee granted a new premises licence for Leconfield House, located at Curzon Street, London, W1J 5JA, allowing for a range of licensable activities. These include the sale of alcohol from 9 am to 1 am (Monday to Thursday), 9 am to midnight (Friday and Saturday), and 9 am to 10:30 pm (Sunday), with extended hours on New Year's Eve. Late-night refreshment is permitted from 11 pm to 5 am daily. Regulated entertainment, including films, is permitted in the basement from 9 am to 1 am, and live and recorded music is permitted in the basement from 11 pm to 1 am. The premises will be open 24 hours a day.

This application faced significant objections from Environmental Health, the Metropolitan Police Service, and local residents, including Chesterfield House Management Limited. Environmental Health raised concerns about the potential for increased public nuisance and impact on public safety due to the supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment, particularly the late hours requested. Residents from Chesterfield House, located adjacent to Leconfield House, strongly objected, citing concerns about noise, disturbance, and loss of privacy, particularly relating to the proposed use of the seventh-floor terrace and the potential for the building to operate as a nightclub. They highlighted the historical planning refusals for similar uses of the building.

The Metropolitan Police initially objected due to concerns about the proposed membership scheme and operational style, but later withdrew their objection after agreed conditions were met.

Despite the objections, the committee granted the licence, noting that the premises is located outside of any Cumulative Impact Zone or Special Consideration Zone. The committee considered the application on its merits, taking into account the applicant's proposed conditions and operational management strategy. The applicant, Leconfield House Ltd, presented evidence from expert reports on acoustics and transport, and highlighted the building's high Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 6b.

The committee imposed a number of conditions, including:

• The licensable activities being ancillary to the main function of private offices and co-working.
• Alcohol sales restricted to business members, their guests, and directors/employees of the licence holder.
• A noise limiter to be installed in the basement event space.
• The seventh-floor external terrace to be closed after 11 pm, except for smokers, with a limit of 10 persons and no food or drink permitted.
• All windows and external doors to be kept closed after 11 pm, except for immediate access and egress.
• A comprehensive CCTV system and a StaffSafe™ system to be installed and maintained.
• A dispersal policy to be implemented and made available for inspection.
• The number of persons permitted dining on the seventh floor to not exceed 100, with specific restrictions on the external terrace capacity.
• No deliveries or waste collections between 11 pm and 7 am.

The committee acknowledged the applicant's investment and the potential economic benefits, aligning with the Council's 'Westminster After Dark' strategy. However, the decision was made with the understanding that any breaches of conditions or further concerns could lead to a review of the premises licence.