This meeting was scheduled to include discussion of two applications for new licences, for premises at 4 Gillespie Road and 169 Holloway Road. The meeting was also scheduled to consider whether to exclude the public and press for some items.

Doppio Zero, 4 Gillespie Road, London, N5 1LN

This application for a new premises licence for Doppio Zero was scheduled for consideration following the receipt of representations from three local residents objecting to the application. The application requested permission for:

• Sale of Alcohol for consumption on the premises on Sunday from 12:00 to 22:00, Tuesday 17:00 to 22:00, Wednesday and Thursday 12:00 to 22:00 and Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00.
• Provision of Regulated Entertainment in the form of recorded music on Sunday from 12:00 to 22:00, Tuesday 17:00 to 22:00, Wednesday and Thursday 12:00 to 22:00 and Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00
• Opening hours of Sunday from 12:00 to 22:00, Tuesday 17:00 to 22:00, Wednesday and Thursday 12:00 to 22:00 and Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00

The report pack notes that:

The premises was subject to a premises issued in February 2010. This licence lapsed in July 2018 as the company holding the licence was dissolved.

The report pack states that the Licensing Officer visited the premises on 13 September 2024 and:

found the premises selling alcohol without authorisation.

The report pack goes on to say that:

The new owners showed officer the old licence and said the old owner had advised them they were able to sell alcohol under its authorisation with his consent.

The report pack also includes representations from one of the local residents. They state that:

My representation relates to the following three licensing objectives:

• The prevention of crime and disorder - the owner of the premises has been in breach of civil and criminal law in the ways set out and detailed below
• The prevent of public nuisance - the owner is already causing public nuisance in the ways set out and detailed below
• Public safety - the owner has erected an unauthorised extension which does not have Building Control safety certification and which appears to be a fire hazard, as detailed below

They add that:

the owner of the premises does not meet the Management Standards of LBI’s Statement of Licensing Policy and cannot meet the requirements of LBI’s Licensee’s Charter.

The resident provides a range of supporting information for their representation. This includes that:

The owner has recently erected an authorised extension at the front of the building, in the form of a tented structure. The planning department at LBI has served an enforcement order on November 13th requiring the owner to remove the structure within six months.

They go on to claim that the applicant has told council officers that:

he erected the structure partly to provide his customers with a barrier from the food smoke from The Tastebox

The Tastebox is a cafe located next door to the applicant's premises.

The resident says they have been told by a planning officer employed by Islington Council that:

“We would not support a planning application for what has been erected.”

They argue that:

It is difficult to overstate the recklessness and irresponsibility of the unauthorised extension in safety terms.

In respect of noise, the resident states that:

the ASB team was contacted on Friday August 9th because the premises were playing music too loudly and there was a large and noisy gathering of people at the premises.

They claim that a council ASB officer told the applicant to turn the music down and:

The premises did so, but then turned the music back up again after 10.30pm, when another complaint had to be sent to the ASB team. The noisy music continued until 11.10pm.

They go on to say that:

There is otherwise music audible from the premises which exceeds LBI’s ASB noise threshold.

The resident adds that in their opinion:

The premises are currently playing recorded music during opening hours. This is illegal without a PPL licence.

A PPL Licence is a legal requirement for any business that wants to play recorded music in public.

The resident also says that:

During their visit on August 9th the ASB team from LBI took photographs indicating that alcohol was being sold on the premises without a licence.

The sale of alcohol without a licence is a criminal offense under the Licensing Act 2003.

According to the resident, the applicant told a council licensing officer that he:

believed the alcohol licence for the previous owner of the premises also covered him

They argue that:

ignorance of licensing law is not an acceptable excuse for beaching the law. Furthermore, even as an excuse this does not appear credible.

The resident goes on to say that:

The licensing office [...and the] planning officer [...have] indicate[d] that the applicant is attempting to blame the adjacent Tastebox food takeway for the noise in the vicinity of his premises

They conclude by arguing that the applicant's actions:

evidences a change of use from takeaway to dining in.

Changes of use often require planning permission. Islington's planning policies are set out in the Local Plan.

Chicken Cottage Holloway Road, 169 Holloway Road, London, N7 8LX - New Licence Application

This application for a new licence for Chicken Cottage Holloway Road was scheduled to be considered following the receipt of representations from the Metropolitan Police and the Licensing Authority. The application requested permission for:

• Late Night Refreshment, Mondays to Sundays, from 23:00 to 02:00 the following day.
• Opening Hours of Mondays to Sundays, from 11:00 to 02:00 the following day.

The report pack states that:

The Met Police have reviewed the application and submitted a representation [...]. Suggested conditions and amendments to the applicant’s operating schedule have also been put forward by the Police.

The report pack notes that the application may breach Licensing Policy 6: Licensing Hours, which sets out the council's policy on the hours during which licensed premises may operate.

The hours applied for are outside of the recommended policy hours for premises selling hot food and drink supplied by takeaway and fast-food premises, which is Sundays to Thursday 11pm to midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays 11pm to 1am.

The report states that:

It is not clear from the application where delivery drivers would wait and or where they would pick up orders

It also notes that:

The site has residents to the rear and above and is situated in an area with several late night take away and delivery food premises. Historically in such areas complaints are received concerning noise and anti-social behaviour by moped/delivery riders.

The report sets out the Licensing Authority's recommendations, which included that:

the Committee consider the effect of delivery drivers in the local area and ask that all deliveries be by non-motorised vehicles, there should be a plan of where riders would wait and pick up deliveries and, that the management of the premises monitor the behaviour of the drivers and operate a procedure for acting on any drivers causing anti-social behaviour.

The report concludes by recommending that:

the Licensing Sub Committee consider the application and the lack of information in the operating schedule, including the non-standard timings which it seems would increase the hours several times every month. It is recommended that the operation should cease at the times given in the Licensing Policy.

Exclusion of the public and press

The meeting was also scheduled to consider whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting for some items, on the grounds that:

they are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt or confidential information within the terms of the Access to Information Procedure Rules in the Constitution