This meeting was scheduled to consider a report about guidance on how remote meetings should be held under the Licensing Act 2003, as well as two applications for new and varied premises licences.

Pastino, 92 Tottenham Court Road

A new premises licence was requested for Pastino, which is described in the report as a fresh cooked to order pasta concept.

The applicant requested permission for:

• the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 11:00 to 22:00, Monday to Sunday; and
• opening hours of 10:30 to 22:30, Monday to Sunday.

The Charlotte Street Association¹ submitted a representation in opposition to the application. The Association outlined a number of concerns relating to the prevention of public nuisance, including:

• the close proximity of two public houses and concern about the level of crime in the Tottenham Court Road area;
• the lack of a volunteered condition in the application specifying that alcohol may only be sold to people who are seated and eating, which the Association said meant that the Council would be obliged to treat the premises as a bar;
• the application for off-sales of alcohol; and
• the hours of operation of a proposed external seating area.

The Association asked for a number of additional conditions to be added to the licence, including:

• a requirement that the sale of alcohol be ancillary to the consumption of a meal;
• that only waiter service be provided for alcohol and food;
• that a limit be placed on the number of customers permitted to smoke outside at any one time;
• that measures be put in place to reduce noise and congestion arising from courier collections; and
• the adoption of the Council's ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme.

The report pack includes a draft operating schedule with 19 conditions covering issues such as CCTV, door supervisors, signage and staff training.

The report recommends that the Panel consider:

• granting the application in full with the conditions set out in the operating schedule;
• granting the application with revised conditions; or
• rejecting the whole or part of the application.

67 Whitfield Street

An application was made to vary the premises licence of Officina 00 Restaurant, 67 Whitfield Street to permit the use of an outdoor seating area and to change a condition relating to the consumption of alcohol outside.

The applicant requested permission for opening hours of:

• 12:00 to 23:00, Monday to Friday;
• 11:30 to 23:00, Saturday; and
• 11:30 to 22:00, Sunday.

They also requested to amend condition 17 of the licence from:

1. No alcoholic beverages or glass containers shall be taken outside the premises by customers at any time.

to:

17 No alcoholic beverages or glass containers shall be taken outside the premises by customers at any time save as indicated on approved plan.

18 There will be no more than six smokers at any one time outside, and they must not smoke on Chitty Street or consume their alcoholic drinks outside, save as indicated on approved plan

19 The sliding doors that lead from the restaurant to the outdoor space referred to as the Undercroft must be closed between 21:00 and 11:00 each day, save for entry and egress to the premises.

Two residents, the Charlotte Street Association and Rob Gunns, submitted representations opposing the application. Their concerns related to the prevention of public nuisance. They noted that the area was residential and that the proposed variation would:

• increase noise and disturbance for residents in nearby properties;
• provide no respite from licensed activities for residents, as the requested hours allowed for opening every day of the week; and
• potentially invalidate the premises' noise impact assessment, which had been based on the sliding doors to the outdoor area remaining closed.

The report recommends that the Panel consider:

• granting the application in full with the conditions set out in the operating schedule;
• granting the application with revised conditions; or
• rejecting the whole or part of the application.