This meeting of the Licensing Panel C was scheduled to discuss the adoption of procedure rules for remote meetings, and an application for a new premises licence.

Hawley Wharf Market Place

The Panel were scheduled to discuss an application for a new premises licence for Hawley Wharf Market Place. The applicant, Ground Gilbey Limited, was requesting permission to host live music, recorded music and dance performances, and to sell alcohol on and off the premises. The requested hours for all of these activities were 12:00 - 21:00, seven days a week.

The application was accompanied by 51 volunteered conditions¹ in the operating schedule that the applicant had offered to abide by if their licence was granted.

The Licensing Authority submitted a representation on the application, in which they highlighted that the application was in the Camden Town Cumulative Impact Policy Area. The Camden Town Cumulative Impact Policy Area is a part of the borough where the council has found that there is already such a high concentration of licensed premises that the licensing objectives are being undermined. This means there is a presumption against granting any new licences for premises in the area. However, it is possible for an applicant to rebut the presumption, demonstrating through the strength of their application and the conditions they offer to abide by, that they will not undermine the licensing objectives.

The Licensing Authority's representation described these conditions, concluding:

The proposed measures by the applicant uphold the licensing objectives. It would be a matter for elected members to depart from the adopted licensing policy.

TRACT, a local resident's association, submitted a representation objecting to the application on the grounds of the prevention of public nuisance. They noted that there were no limits on the duration of live or amplified music in the application, and suggested that it would be unreasonable to expect residents to tolerate nine hours of music every day.

Residents need more preventative conditions to be applied to protect their amenity. EG noise levels to be controlled.

Mr Stelios Stylianou, a local resident, also submitted a representation objecting to the application, arguing that the application would undermine the licensing objectives relating to the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The Panel were also scheduled to consider representations from residents of 33 Duke Street, 8 Hawley Wharf, 10 Hawley Road and 21 Hawley Crescent in support of the application.

The report pack does not tell us what was actually discussed at the meeting, or whether the Panel made a decision on the application.

Guidance on Remote Meetings Held Under The Licensing Act 2003 And Associated Regulations

The Panel were scheduled to discuss and adopt a set of guidance on the procedures to be followed during remote hearings of the Panel. This guidance provides procedures to be followed when dealing with matters like late papers, interruptions to connections, and voting remotely. It also details the approach to be taken to equalities issues arising from the remote hearing of the Panel, saying:

It is recognised that that some persons who ordinarily would be able to participate in Council hearings in person will not be able to participate in remote hearings due to physical or other disability or because they lack the technological capability to do so.

The guidance describes the council's attempts to mitigate this issue, concluding:

The Council will consider any other requests for reasonable adjustments to be made in order to allow parties to be involved in remote Council hearings as far as circumstances at the time of the hearing allows.

The report pack does not tell us what was actually discussed at the meeting, or whether the Panel agreed to adopt the guidance.