Transcript

Good morning. We are going to have to adjourn due to the fact that we're waiting for Mr. Sheik Satir Aziz to turn up and he's given us a time frame of half an hour. So by law we have to open the meeting within 15 minutes of the time span to 10 o'clock. So we're going to adjourn for half an hour. Is there anything you want to add? Not to this stage, no. Right, lovely. Okay. So we're adjourned if you'd like to take a seat outside again and we'll call you when we're ready. Thank you very much. Good morning, everyone. This is a meeting for Licensing Act 2003 Subcommittee of the London Borough of Newham for a review of premises license for Priya restaurant 209 High Street North East Ham London E6 1J. The review application was submitted by the Home Office. Please note that this meeting recording will be available after the meeting on the Council's YouTube channel. In accordance with the Member's Code of Conduct, the three Councils on the Committee today are required to declare any relevant interests on any matter being considered at this meeting. I have no interest to declare. Councilor. I have no interest to declare. Councilor Vaughan. Not interested. And we now move to introductions. My name is Councillor Toni Wilson. I represent Becton Ward and we'll be chairing this meeting. Good morning. Councilor Jane Lofthouse, representing Placid South. Councilor. I'm Councillor Winston Gorn, representing Borsky at South Ward. Thank you. Case officer. Colleen Hunt, case officer, London Borough of Newham. Okay. Responsible authorities, would you like to introduce yourselves? Immigration Lofthouse, government badge number 22502. Get that, Chris? Yep. Okay. Home Office Licensing Compliance Team, Harisha Sylvia Arach. Thank you. Home Office Compliance Licensing Team, Sahana. Sahana, you're going to have to speak up. Oh, sorry. I know you're not really that quiet. Okay. Home Office Licensing Team, my name is Sahana Karamran. Sahana, nice to meet you. Home Office Immigration Enforcement, Kate Gardner, and Just Observing Today. Thank you. All right. And would you like to introduce yourself? I am DPS and new license holder. Yes. And your name? Aziz Sheikh Sata. Thank you. And... Ashley Jackson Licensing Team, who doesn't serve as that channel. Thank you, Steve. Okay. I am now going to briefly run through the procedure of this meeting. The licensing case officer will present their report. We then move to reviewing officer report from the Home Office. Members can seek clarification, and so can premise license holder or their representative on any matters. No other representation have been received in support of this review application. The license holder then presents their case. Finally, members may pass resolution to deliberate in private and exclude the press and public, including parties and their representatives. The clerk and the legal advisor will remain with members to provide advice on procedure and law. When the decision has been reached, the meeting will reconfirm. The decision of the subcommittee will be announced in public. Full written copies of the decision will be sent to the applicant or license holder, responsible authorities, and interested parties, usually within five working days. Parties who have taken part in this hearing may appeal against the decision to the magistrate's court within 21 days. As this is an administrative hearing under the 2003 Act, we are not trained lawyers, so we rely on legal advice from our legal department today, represented by... Paddy Ware. Thank you, Paddy. I would also like to inform all parties that we base our decision on written and oral submissions. The clerk will take minutes of the meeting. Would you like to introduce yourself? If anyone in this chamber wishes to ask a question during the meeting, I would ask for them to raise their hand and wait to be invited to speak. I would ask for all mobile phones to be silenced or switched off. I'd like to now invite the case office to present the case. Thank you, Chair. This licensing subcommittee will determine an application for a review of a premises license for Priya Restaurant, East Ham, London, E61JG, and any valid representation that have been received. The review application was submitted by the Home Office Immigration Team to the Council Licensing Team. This was received on 13 January 2005. The application was advertised by the licensing team by means of notices in the immediate vicinity of the premises. The grounds for the review are on the license and objectives of prevention of crime disorder. A copy of the review application is attached to Appendix A and supporting documents are attached to Appendix A1. I'm sorry. Mobile phones. Apologies. The premises applied for a license under Licensing Act 2003 in 2006, the name of Mr. Tillak. This license was transferred in 2011 to the current license holder, Mr. Sufferation. On the 17th of February 2025, an application to transfer the license and change the DPS was submitted to the licensing team. There's no objection by the police and the application was granted and takes immediate effect. The change of DPS and transfer application are attached to Appendix B. A copy of the current license is attached to Appendix C. With this one, the old license holders' names on that license because it hasn't been issued. The new license hasn't been issued yet. So when the report was done, this was the license I had to hand. Okay. An area plan is attached to Appendix D and the premises street view is attached to Appendix E. The members of the licensing subcommittee asked to hear the review application, representation of the license holder and any valid representation received from responsible authorities and interested parties and to determine the application. And that concludes the report. Would you like, just so we can have, you know, inside of transparency, just have a look at the premises, where it's located? Sure. Put it on the screen. Thank you. It works. This is the area plan. So it's opposite East Ham station. And then north, 100 yards north. Nice. The premises. It's actually on the hill. Yes, it is. Yes. And I'll give you a better view of it now. So there's the premises right in front of you there. Yeah, and if I spin it round, so it does take a delay, there is a delay. So, yeah, you can see the station there on your left. So it's opposite and just along about five shops, five, six shops. And if we go over to the other way. And that way is towards East Ham Town Hall. This way is towards Manor Park. That's exactly right. Yeah. Right. Okay. Thank you. Any questions, Councillor? Yes, I'd just like to ask for me. Okay, we've been looking at premises, license holder and DPS, but do we know who's actually the owner of the premises? Who owns the business? I haven't got that information on me, but I can have a look and come back to you on that one. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Councillor Thornton, any questions? No questions. I just wanted to ask, at the time of the expense, was Mr. Raja Mohan the DPS at this property when the incident actually happened? Or in the immigration? Yes. Whoever's on the license at that time. So that would be... So as far as the licensing team is concerned, he was an acting DPS at the time when immigration went in. The name on the license, yes. The name on the license. However, however, however, in 2000 and on page 62, in 2011... Chair, sorry, it's page 62 of the afternoon pack. It's in the wrong... Ah. Yeah. Is it okay for us to refer back and forth? Yep. What's this one? Oh, it's in the... It's in the... It's in the... Page 62. Notified the local authority that he was no longer the DPS. Right. So, from my understanding then, from the 11th... Sorry, from 2011... So, from the 3rd of the 2nd, 2011... To... When the... Transfer was taken over in, I think it was February the 14th. There was no... No DPS there. And they were still selling... As far as we're aware, they were. 14 years. I've got no transfer on our system that it was transferred within that time, within the... Oh, it's 28 days now, but back then I think it was less, but it's at least 28 days. Okay. Lovely. Right. Are there any questions you'd like to ask the case officer? No? Is there any questions you'd like to ask the case officer, Fender? Okay, thank you. Let's move on. Right. Who would like to go first? I would first like to confirm that all committee members have had time. Do you want to read the submission pack? Yes, please. I don't propose you for the full pack, but I'll take a couple of the key points before I'll summarize the case. The ability to use the delivery is a key driver of illegal migration. It encourages people to break the immigration law and provides a practical means for immigrants to remain unlawfully in the United Kingdom. It encourages people to take risks in trying to enter the UK legally by putting their lives in evidence of uncultuous people smugglers and leaves them vulnerable to exploitative employers. Illegal workers, illegal working results in businesses that are not blamed by the rules and undercutting legitimate businesses that are, is also negatively impacts on the wage for lawful workers and can be linked to other labour market abuse, such as tax evasion, breach of national minimum wage, and exploitative working conditions. Employing illegal workers undermines the licensing objectives, especially the prevention of crime and disorder. Immigration enforcement does not drive looking for business to come up with it. Intelligence says, and there has to be significant concerns for action to incoming intelligence. We do not routinely refer to seek a license for a group, but if we do, the selected cases will be highlighted in concerns. Just a summary on the visit. On the 18th of April, North East London ISTEAM visited the premises. After intelligence was received, business was employing illegal workers. The premises at 465, the license act of 2008. Upon entering the premises, immigration officers did not have right to work. Blasigam Sutran, the company director, and the license holder was present during the visit, and was questioned about illegal workers in the license. The DPS, Bhaskar Rajmohan, was not present during the enforcement visit. I just want to say, this is on the green now. It is. So don't we have to go into close? Should have done, yes. Yes, we do. Don't say another word. Right, so we have now come on to the green, which is the restricted information. So we're going to have to go into private session. And we will return once we've finished our questioning on the green. Christine? Thank you. Thank you. I apologize, I was looking at something else. Thank you, everyone, for your patience, and thank you for coming back. We have made a decision, and our clerk will read it out for you. Thank you. The licensing subcommittee, having taken into consideration all written and oral submissions, having been determined under the licensing act of 2003, and assisted by paragraphs 11.19, 11.20, 11.23, 11.27, that it is appropriate and proportionate to revoke the premises license for Priya Restaurant 209 High Street, North East Ham London, E6 1JG. Full written reasons for the revocation of the license will be circulated to all parties within five working days. Any dissatisfied party will have 21 days from receipt of the written notice of decision to log an appeal at Stratford Magistrates' Court. Full details will be contained in the notice of decision. Thank you, everyone. This meeting is now closed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Back with you. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Follow the decision. Make sure he understands it. Yes. Yes. Yes. Can I just agree, just for the record, can I just get everyone to sign in, sign a sheet as well? Just because I have everyone's name and then use it properly. Okay. Hit again. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. We've got you guys again this afternoon. Correct? Yes. Yes. Yes. Perfect. Well, I'll come back to this meeting tomorrow. Yes. Yes. Perfect. Well, I'll have a discussion now. And tomorrow. And tomorrow. Okay. Perfect. I will send it more minutes. The people represent my number, right? Yes. I'm sorry. Oh, I know. I was just saying that they're all closer. Observer. And I did want her name… Oh, okay. Yes. First. First. First. First. First. First. First. First. First. Now. Third. First. I don't remember hearing these sultry tones. Emile me as a word. please feel free to remind me that as a word I have written it