The Licensing Sub-Committee (Alcohol and Entertainments) of Rushmoor Council met on Wednesday 14 October 2026 to review the premises licence for De Lounge. The committee unanimously agreed to amend the conditions of the licence, restricting its operation to a restaurant and modifying its hours for alcohol sales and entertainment.

Review of De Lounge Premises Licence

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered an application for the review of the premises licence for De Lounge, located at Townstead House, 111-113 Victoria Road, Aldershot¹. The review was initiated by Rushmoor Borough Council, citing concerns related to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the protection of children from harm.

The committee heard that De Lounge had a history of non-compliance with its licence conditions, including issues that led to a previous review in February 2024, where the licence holder received a warning. The current review application detailed multiple breaches, including failures to offer half-pint measures, inadequate refusal logs, outdated staff training records, insufficient door supervision, issues with body-worn video cameras and CCTV, and a lack of adherence to the Challenge 25 policy.

Hampshire Constabulary supported the review, highlighting a lack of confidence in the management of the premises and echoing concerns about SIA staffing levels and the non-use of the ID scanner. They agreed with the recommendation to remove the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) and curtail the venue's hours.

The licence holder, De Lounge Ltd., represented by Tularam Gurung, argued that the business operated primarily as a restaurant and cocktail bar, with no intention of functioning as a club. They stated that since taking over, there had been no concerning incidents. Actions taken to address the identified breaches included offering half-pint measures, maintaining an alcohol logbook, updating staff training, purchasing new body-worn cameras, and ensuring CCTV was operational. They also requested a review of the door supervisor policy, citing reduced customer numbers on Fridays and the effectiveness of their CCTV system.

After considering the evidence, the Sub-Committee unanimously decided to amend the licence conditions. De Lounge will now operate solely as a restaurant, with alcohol only supplied to those taking a table meal. The hours for late-night refreshment, retail sale of alcohol, and regulated entertainment on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays preceding a bank holiday were amended. Several conditions from Annex 2 and Annex 3 of the licence were removed, including those relating to refusal of entry policy, use of body-worn video, ID scanners, door supervisors, polycarbonate drinking vessels, dispersal and ejections policies, last entry times, and re-entry times. Condition 24 of Annex 2 was amended to clarify the conditions under which children may be permitted on the premises, and Condition 12 of Annex 2 was amended to remove the reference to the security team. The committee stated that these changes were necessary and proportionate for the promotion of all licensing objectives, noting that operating as a restaurant would limit the risks of further breaches. The decision can be appealed to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days.