This Licensing Sub-Committee meeting was scheduled to consider applications relating to the Licensing Act 2003 for three different sites in the borough. These included a new licence for a café, the variation of a public house's licence and an application to make an off licence open 24 hours a day.

Application for a new licence for Hagen Espresso Bar

The meeting was scheduled to discuss an application for a new premises licence for Hagen Espresso Bar, 30 Dirty Lane, London SE1 9PA made by Kr Coffee Ltd. The application was for the sale of alcohol on and off the premises from 11:00 to 17:30 every day, the provision of recorded music indoors from 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 18:00 Saturday and Sunday, and for the premises to be open to the public from 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 18:00 Saturday and Sunday.

The premises is described by the applicant as a Cafe.

Nine local residents submitted representations to the application on the grounds of public nuisance. These representations variously argued that:

• the premises is located in a Cumulative Impact Area¹
• the area already suffers from excessive noise and antisocial behaviour
• there is a lack of public toilets in the area
• the provision of alcohol without a substantial food offering is likely to give rise to antisocial behaviour.

One of the resident's representations suggested the following condition be included in any licence granted:

That customers shall not be permitted to drink alcohol in Stoney Street, Clink Street, Bank End or Park Street or to remove open vessels of alcohol from the premises (save for designated external areas shaded pink on the overall plan where a unit has access to that area). That there shall be no off-sales of alcohol save for (a) any alcohol to be delivered ancillary to a food order or (b) sealed bottles of wine or sparkling wine with a minimum price of £15 per bottle (c) alcohol to be consumed at tables in the designated external areas.

The applicant agreed conditions with the Council's Licensing Unit and Trading Standards Service, and those authorities subsequently withdrew their representations.

The representations from the local residents remained outstanding, and were due to be considered by the Sub-Committee.

Application to vary the licence for Bobby's Bar

The sub-committee was scheduled to discuss an application made by Bobby's Bar Limited to vary the premises licence for Bobby's Bar, 124-126 Rye Lane, London, SE15 4RZ.

The application sought to extend the opening hours of the premises until 04:00 from Friday to Sunday and all other licensable activities until 03:30, increase the maximum capacity of the premises from 100 to 350, and to require Security Industry Authority registered door supervisors to be employed on Sundays as well as Fridays and Saturdays.

The applicant argued that:

The variation is to extend the hours of trade on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to 04:00hrs. The premises has run a number of successful TENs² to this time without incident and now wants to make this permission permanent.

The Metropolitan Police Service and the Council's Licensing Unit both submitted representations against the application.

The Metropolitan Police Service argued that:

The increased late night footfall could lead to an increase in alcohol related noise pollution, as well as anti-social behaviour. The applicant has not outlined within their application how they would effectively mitigate these potential problems.

The Council's Licensing Unit argued that:

Granting the application will exacerbate the serious problems caused by the consumption of alcohol in the locale.

A local resident also submitted a representation arguing that:

Rye Lane is already a busy enough street on Friday and Saturday nights, with a number of bars along it, leading to much loud noise from drunks. ... I fail to see how yet another bar on the block will add to the quality of life for us residents and having another bar open two doors away is only going to lead to more noise for myself and other residents on the block.

None of the representations had been withdrawn at the time of the meeting.

Application to vary the licence for Jays Food and Wine

The committee was scheduled to consider an application made by Prestigio Limited to vary the premises licence for Jays Food and Wine, 201 Walworth Road, SE17 1RL.

The application was to extend the hours for the sale of alcohol off the premises and for the premises to be open to the public, to 24 hours a day.

Representations were received from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Council's Trading Standards team.

The Metropolitan Police Service argued that:

Police believe that the addition of a 24hr off licence will only add to the local issues of street drinking and antisocial behaviour which can be readily seen in Walworth road and be of no benefit to the local community. ... Police also raise concerns in regards to the venue offering for sale drug paraphernalia which is displayed at various places within the store and some of which is accessible to children.

The Council's Trading Standards team argued that:

As the premises has in the past, been witnessed selling age restricted products to minors, Trading Standards feel granting a 24hr licence would undermine the protection of children from harm licensing objective.

The representations from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Council's Trading Standards team remained outstanding.