The Licensing Sub-Committee of Bexley Council was scheduled to consider agenda items including a review of a premises licence for Tap, located at 3 Wellington Parade, Blackfen Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9NB. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the premises licence for The Darjeeling, 3 St Johns Parade, Sidcup High Street, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6ES, and an application to vary the premises licence for The Alma, 10 Alma Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4EA.

Review of Tap Premises Licence

The agenda included a review of the premises licence for Tap, located at 3 Wellington Parade, Blackfen Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9NB. This review was to be considered on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. Representations were expected from the police, as a responsible authority, in support of the review.

Information available indicated that the review application stemmed from an incident on 20 March 2025, where a fight occurred resulting in a female customer being assaulted with a glass. Police attending the scene reportedly found customers to be heavily intoxicated, with ongoing fighting and a lack of effective management control. It was reported that no one present was able to operate the venue's CCTV system, which was a breach of the premises licence conditions. Further concerns were raised regarding the lack of door supervisors, inadequate ID checking, and the failure to conduct a proper risk assessment for an 18th birthday party. Subsequent visits reportedly revealed that the CCTV system was not working, and there were allegations of late-night lock-ins and illegal gambling taking place. Representations were expected detailing evidence of organised poker games, alcohol sales outside permitted hours, and the use of illegal drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, within the premises. The report highlighted that the licence holder, Tap Drinking Limited, had not responded to the review application.

Review of The Darjeeling Premises Licence

The Sub-Committee was also scheduled to consider a review of the premises licence for The Darjeeling, located at 3 St Johns Parade, Sidcup High Street, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6ES. This review was initiated by the Home Office on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder.

The Home Office's Immigration Enforcement Licensing Compliance Team had visited The Darjeeling after receiving intelligence about the employment of illegal workers. During the visit, two out of five employees were identified as having no right to work in the UK. The licence holder, Mr. Saiful Islam, reportedly failed to conduct lawful right-to-work checks and could not provide evidence of such checks. A civil penalty of £80,000 was issued to Sweet Wave Ltd, the company that previously owned the business, for employing illegal workers. The company subsequently went into liquidation. The report indicated that Mr. Islam had held the licence since 2009 and was considered an experienced operator. The Home Office requested the revocation of the licence due to serious failures in upholding the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder. Mr. Islam reportedly stated he was sorry for employing individuals without the legal right to work and admitted to not fully maintaining records, which he claimed led to the loss of his business. He had since sold the business to Mr. Mohammod Islam, but remained the licence holder and Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

Application to Vary The Alma Premises Licence

An application to vary the premises licence for The Alma, located at 10 Alma Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4EA, was also scheduled for consideration. The application sought to remove embedded conditions from the previous licensing regime, extend hours for licensable activities, and permit live and recorded music outdoors.

Representations were made by the Licensing Authority and Environmental Health, with the latter objecting to the proposal for live and recorded music outdoors, citing potential public nuisance. Several local residents also made representations, expressing concerns about noise levels from the premises, particularly from music and patrons in the outside garden area. They described disturbances that impacted their ability to enjoy their homes and gardens, especially during warmer months. Residents reportedly felt that the current licence was not being adhered to and that the proposed changes would exacerbate existing noise issues. The applicants, Mr. Matthew Skipper-Banks and Mr. Ronnie Banks, stated they had a combined 50 years of experience in hospitality and had worked to make the pub a welcoming part of the community. They proposed to withdraw the application for outdoor music and to inform neighbours when applying for Temporary Event Notices (TENs). They also sought to extend opening hours to 9 am to be more competitive and avoid the need for TENs.

The report pack also included documents related to declarations of interests and dispensations, and items of late business.