The Licensing Sub Committee Hearing Panel of Manchester Council met on Monday 3 August 2026 to consider several applications for premises licences and a review of an existing licence. The meeting's agenda included discussions on new licence applications for Luella's and Gumbo, a review of the premises licence for Beilul Lounge, and an application for a personal licence.

Review of Premises Licence - Beilul Lounge

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to a review of the premises licence for Beilul Lounge, located at First Floor and Second Floor, 100 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 5AJ. The review was initiated by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on the grounds that the licence holder had allegedly failed to uphold the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and ensuring public safety.

The report pack detailed numerous alleged licensing breaches identified by officers during inspections. These included instances of unsupervised alcohol sales, a lack of a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) on site, insufficient staff training, poor management oversight, and a manager with limited knowledge of licensing requirements. Significant safety concerns were also noted, such as poor hygiene, a rat infestation, blocked escape routes, and fire safety deficiencies. GMP was reportedly seeking the revocation of the premises licence due to these fundamental failures.

The report also outlined that a transfer application and a DPS variation application had been submitted for Beilul Lounge, with GMP having lodged objections to both. These applications were scheduled to be heard separately. The current premises licence holder is Kesete Mehari.

Application for a New Premises Licence - Luella's

The panel was also scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Luella's, located at Basement and Ground Floor, 2-10 St Mary's Street, Manchester, M3 2LB. This application had attracted objections from responsible authorities, including GMP and the Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team (LOOH).

GMP's objection was based on concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. Specific concerns raised included the proposed operating hours, the lack of SIA registered door staff at peak times, the absence of a stated venue capacity, and the lack of provisions to prevent anti-social behaviour from customers, particularly concerning parking. GMP also expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal to not include a 'drinking-up' time, which they believed could lead to irresponsible drinking and customers leaving the premises with alcohol.

The LOOH Compliance Team echoed GMP's concerns, highlighting a lack of robustness and enforceability in the applicant's proposed conditions. They also noted a discrepancy between the hours requested in the application and those displayed on the premises' blue notice. Both GMP and LOOH recommended refusal of the application in its current form. The applicant, Saint Mary's Street Limited, proposed various measures to promote the licensing objectives, including CCTV, incident logs, and staff training.

Application for a New Premises Licence - Gumbo

Another new premises licence application to be considered was for Gumbo, located at Basement, 12-14 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1LN. This application had also received relevant representations from responsible authorities, specifically the Licensing and Out of Hours Compliance Team and GMP.

The LOOH team raised concerns about noise nuisance due to the premises' proximity to noise-sensitive locations, including a hotel and apartment blocks. They noted that the proposed operation, described as a Boiler Room style DJ event venue, was more akin to a nightclub than a bar. LOOH recommended a reduction in operating hours, suggesting that the premises operate only on Fridays and Saturdays with a terminal hour of 3 am, and alcohol sales ceasing at 2:30 am, to mitigate disturbance to nearby residents. They also proposed amendments to the applicant's conditions for clarity and enforceability, and the addition of new conditions.

GMP's representation focused on the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance. They highlighted the challenging location on the periphery of Piccadilly Gardens and within the busy Northern Quarter, noting the narrow pavements and the potential for issues with queues, smokers, and customer dispersal. GMP believed that more robust conditions were necessary for the premises to operate safely and for the licensing objectives to be adequately promoted, proposing specific requirements for CCTV, SIA-registered door supervisors, and customer management. The applicant, Gumbo MCR Ltd, described the venue as a bar and event-led hospitality venue with a focus on music and DJ-led events.

Application for a Personal Licence - SB

The panel was also scheduled to consider an application for a personal licence with relevant convictions declared, identified as SB . The report pack indicated that this item would involve the exclusion of the public due to the nature of the information to be discussed.

The meeting was scheduled to begin with consideration of any urgent business and any appeals against the refusal to allow inspection of background documents or the inclusion of items in the confidential part of the agenda. Members were also to be given an opportunity to declare any interests.