This meeting of Greenwich Council's Licensing Sub-Committee B was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for the Suya Spot takeaway restaurant in Woolwich. The new licence would allow the restaurant to sell hot food and drink until midnight each day. The sub-committee was also scheduled to note a report on the memberships of Councillors on outside bodies.

Application for a new premises licence for the Suya Spot restaurant in Woolwich

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for the Suya Spot (Just Suya Ltd) restaurant at 13A Spray Street, Woolwich, SE18 6AG. The application was submitted by Mr Adesoji Alayo, on behalf of Just Suya Ltd, and was for the grant of a premises licence to permit the sale of late night refreshment. Late night refreshment is defined as the provision of hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am.

The applicant was requesting permission to sell late night refreshment from 11pm until midnight each day. The restaurant is currently open from 2pm until midnight, so if granted this would allow them to continue serving hot food for the duration of their opening hours.

The premises, located in the Woolwich Town Centre Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ),¹ sits on the left-hand side of a parade of three premises. It is a small unit that only caters to takeaway customers with no sit-down dining provision.

Two representations from local residents objecting to the application were received, along with representations from the Metropolitan Police and Royal Borough of Greenwich Safer Spaces Team.

Representations from local residents

The residents' representations, which are not included in the documents that were provided to the public, were summarised in the officer's report. The report states that the residents' concerns related to the prevention of public nuisance.

Representation from the Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police made a representation to the application relating to the prevention of public nuisance. The representation included a request for the following condition to be attached to the licence:

No noise generated on the premises shall emanate from the premises, which gives rise to a nuisance.

The applicant subsequently agreed to this condition.

Representation from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Safer Spaces Team

The Royal Borough of Greenwich Safer Spaces team also made a representation to the application, relating to the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, and public safety.

The representation states that Spray Street has been subject to high levels of Anti-Social Behaviour, with groups of predominantly males seen consuming alcohol, smoking cannabis, and causing Anti-Social Behaviour. The Safer Spaces team reports receiving a number of complaints from residents regarding the behaviour coming from the individuals that visit Suya Spot and loiter outside, adding that residents have been disturbed with loud music being played, people being intoxicated, using their gardens as a toilet, and witnessing fights taking place outside of their homes.

The representation includes a request for the following conditions to be attached to the licence:

Not to place chairs outside of the premises. If they did want to place chairs, they would have to apply for a Tables & Chairs licence (from RBG Street Trading & Markets) and have the chairs removed by 17:00 daily.

No music to be audible from outside the premises.

A Dispersal Policy agreed by the council’s Licensing Department and Police.

At the time of writing the report, the applicant had not agreed to these conditions.

The applicant had offered nine conditions in the operating schedule submitted as part of the application, which were reproduced (with amendments) in the officer's report. These included the following:

1. The premises shall install and maintain a comprehensive CCTV system. All entry and exit points must be covered enabling frontal identification of every person entering in any light condition. The CCTV shall continually record whilst the premises are open. All recordings shall be stored for a minimum of thirty-one (31) days with date- & time-stamping. Viewing of recordings shall be made available immediately upon the request of Police or an authorised Local Authority officers (as defined by Section 13 of the Licensing Act 2003). A staff member from the premises who is conversant with the operation of the CCTV system shall be present in the premises at all times when the premises is open.

2. An Incident Log shall be maintained, in which any incidents that involve emergency services being called to the premises or customers being ejected, or any matters that are considered to undermine any of the four licensing objectives. The Log shall be made available to Police or authorised Local Authority officers (as defined by Section 13, Licensing Act 2003) upon request.

3. A maximum of six (6) customers shall be allowed in the premises at any one time. Fire exits shall be cleared indicated by the appropriate signage.

4. Signage shall be clearly displayed requesting customers to leave quietly and have respect for neighbouring residents and businesses, and not to loiter on the pavement outside.

5. A receptacle shall be provided for the disposal of packaging and wrappings associated with takeaway food, and the frontage of the premises down to the kerbside shall be swept, and refuse / litter collected, at the close of business daily.

6. The premises shall be closed and clear of customers by 00:00 midnight daily.

The officer's report provides a summary of the history of the premises, details of previous visits and observations from officers, and sets out relevant sections of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Licensing Policy and the Government's guidance under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003. It concludes by reminding the sub-committee that they have the power to grant the application as it stands, to grant it with additional conditions, or to refuse it.

Memberships of Councillors on Outside Bodies

The sub-committee was also scheduled to note a report on the memberships of Councillors on outside bodies, joint committees and school governing bodies. The report provides a list of the organisations that each member of the council has been appointed to, and details the rules on declaring interests.