This meeting will consider an application to vary the premises licence for The Punchbowl pub on Farm Street. Councillors will be asked to consider representations made by residents, local businesses, the police, and environmental health on the topic. There will also be a discussion of the relevant parts of Westminster Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy 2021 and guidance from the Secretary of State, and how they relate to the application.

The Punchbowl's Application to Vary its Premises Licence

Butcombe Brewery Limited applied for a variation to their premises licence for The Punchbowl pub at 41 Farm Street. They sought permission to:

• Replace condition 25 of their premises licence, which states that at least one door supervisor licensed by the Security Industry Authority must be on duty at each entrance to the pub after 5pm. They would like to replace this condition with one that requires the pub's Designated Premises Supervisor¹ to carry out a risk assessment to determine whether door staff are required.
• Amend condition 26, which states that the door supervisor should ensure that customers who are outside for any reason do not cause a nuisance to local residents and are encouraged to return inside. They propose to amend this to say If on duty the SIA registered door supervisors ensure that customers who are outside for any reason do not cause a nuisance to local residents and are encouraged to return inside.
• Remove condition 16, which prevents customers from taking drinks outside in open containers after 8pm.
• Replace condition 10, which prevents children under the age of 14 from being in the bar area of the pub unless they are passing through, with one that requires under 16s to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Amend condition 43, which prevents customers from taking drinks outside in open containers after 8pm and limits the number of customers outside before 8pm to 18. They propose to change this to prevent customers from taking drinks outside after 10pm, retaining the limit of 18 customers outside before that time.

The report notes that The Punchbowl has held a licence since at least 2005.

The application was supported by one resident, who believes that the community should support venues like The Punchbowl that are realistically affordable and accessible to all. The resident argued that the concerns that led to the imposition of the current licence conditions in 2009 no longer apply.

29 representations opposing the variation were received from other residents, residents associations, businesses, and the local ward Councillor. Those objecting cited concerns about the impact of later opening hours, particularly on residents with children. They also cited concerns about the potential for increased noise, anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder, and public safety issues, particularly if the requirement for door staff is removed.

A number of residents highlighted existing problems with the pub, including excessive noise, poor waste management, and staff failing to enforce the existing conditions of the licence. Some residents said they had been forced to contact Westminster Council's Noise Team and the police. One resident submitted photos of staff smoking and congregating in Archibald Mews, and rubbish piled up outside the pub. Another provided a log from their building's concierge showing 20 people standing outside the pub on the night of Saturday 31 August 2024.

The Residents' Society of Mayfair and St James's (RSMSJ), objecting to the application, argued that the conditions the pub now seeks to remove were added to the licence in the past because of severe problems caused by outside drinking, and that removing them presents a real risk that those problems would return. They also argued that the pub's frontage is too small to accommodate 18 people drinking outside without blocking the pavement and creating a risk to public safety. In their further submission to the meeting, the RSMSJ noted that the area has seen an increase in crime, and argued that the removal of the requirement for door staff would create a licence for street crime.

Environmental Health objected to the application, arguing that the proposed changes are likely to undermine the licensing objective of preventing public nuisance.

The City Inspector also objected, on the grounds that the application seeks to remove conditions designed to prevent public nuisance, and that no evidence has been supplied to justify their removal.