This meeting was about whether to grant a new premises licence to Green & Fortune Limited at WPP London Campus 3, 1 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9EU. The application was made on behalf of WPP, the global advertising and marketing company, which has appointed Green & Fortune as its caterer at the campus. There were 16 objections to the application, 13 from individual residents, two from joint residents and one from Councillor David Watson. All of the objectors raised concerns about the potential for the application to increase public nuisance in the area, particularly noise from the outdoor terraces and from people leaving the premises late at night.

Application for a premises licence at WPP London Campus 3

The report pack for the meeting included a report from the council's licensing officers that set out the details of the application and the objections received. The report recommends that the sub-committee considers the application.

The applicants, Green & Fortune Limited, are seeking permission to sell alcohol, provide late night refreshment and provide regulated entertainment indoors from 7am to 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday and 7am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. They are also seeking permission to sell alcohol outdoors on the terraces from 8am to 10pm daily. The application also requests that the premises be allowed to open 24 hours a day.

The application states that the provision of licensable activities on the main office floors shall be restricted to employees and officers of the organisations in occupation of the building and guests of the organisation or their employees/officers.

The application is subject to 16 representations from local residents and a ward councillor, Councillor David Watson. All of the representations object to the application on the grounds that it is likely to increase public nuisance in the area.

The representations raise a number of concerns, including:

• The noise from patrons using the outdoor terraces, particularly late at night.
• The noise from music being played at the premises, both indoors and outdoors.
• The potential for the premises to become a late night drinking venue, attracting large numbers of people to the area.
• The lack of parking in the area, which could lead to patrons parking in residential streets.
• The potential for crime and disorder to increase in the area.

The representations also note that the premises are located in a cumulative impact area, which is an area that is already saturated with licensed premises and where there is evidence that the concentration of licensed premises is having a negative impact on the licensing objectives.

The representations include a number of suggested conditions that the objectors believe should be attached to the licence if it is granted. These conditions include:

• Restricting the hours of operation of the outdoor terraces.
• Requiring the premises to install noise mitigation measures.
• Limiting the number of people that can be on the premises at any one time.
• Prohibiting the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises.
• Requiring the premises to operate a dispersal policy to ensure that patrons leave the area quietly.

The report from the licensing officers notes that the applicants have been in contact with the objectors to try to address their concerns. The report states that the applicants have offered to make a number of changes to their operating schedule, including:

• Reducing the hours of operation of the outdoor terraces.
• Installing noise mitigation measures.
• Employing security staff to manage the dispersal of patrons.

The report concludes that the sub-committee should consider the application and the representations received and determine whether it is appropriate to grant the licence, with or without conditions. The report also notes that the sub-committee has the power to refuse the application.

The report pack also includes a copy of the application form, the representations from the objectors, and a map of the area.