The Kensington and Chelsea Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to convene to consider an objection to a temporary event notice (TEN) for All Saints Church during the Notting Hill Carnival. The sub-committee was to consider the objection notices and determine whether to issue a counter notice, take no action, or impose conditions.

Temporary Event Notice: All Saints Church

The sub-committee was scheduled to review a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) submitted by Mr Andrew Francis for All Saints Church on Clydesdale Road, Notting Hill. Mr Francis sought permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises in the rear outdoor area of the church (facing Powis Gardens) during the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday 24 August 2025 and Monday 25 August 2025, between 12:00 and 19:00 each day. The maximum number of people in attendance at any one time was specified as 12.

Objections

The licensing authority received objections from both the police and the Noise and Nuisance Team, leading to the hearing.

PC Tom Stewart from the Metropolitan Police objected to the TEN on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. His concerns included:

• The location being in a highly congested area within the carnival footprint.
• The sale of alcohol potentially leading to increased crime and disorder.
• The potential for the event to draw additional people into an already congested area.
• The lack of permission from the church or local authority to use the proposed area.
• Insufficient detail on the plan to show where the licensable activities would take place.

PC Stewart further stated that the area around Powis Gardens and All Saints Church experiences significant congestion due to its location between multiple sound systems, with carnival-goers using the paved area as a thoroughfare. He argued that providing alcohol in this area could negatively impact crowd movement and behaviour.

Mr Philip Richardson, on behalf of the Environmental Health Noise and Nuisance team, objected on the grounds of prevention of public nuisance and public safety. His concerns echoed those of the police, highlighting that the proposed location was in a highly congested area near popular sound systems, potentially increasing the risk of congestion and impacting public safety. He also believed that permitting the sale of alcohol at the site was likely to have a negative impact, contributing to an increase in public nuisance.

Additional Information

The sub-committee was also provided with additional information to consider:

• A copy of the Temporary Event Notice, plan, event management plan, and risk assessment (see Appendix A - Temporary Event Notice).
• Copies of the police's objection and supplementary emails/letters (see Appendix B - Police Objection).
• A copy of Mr Richardson's objection (see Appendix C - Noise and Nuisance Objection).
• Extracts from the council's Statement of Licensing Policy (see Appendix D - Carnival Policy).
• A map of the area (see Appendix E - Map).
• A list of licensed premises within the vicinity (included in the public reports pack).
• A map of the 2024 Carnival footprint (for illustrative purposes).
• A list of temporary event notices received so far for this year's Carnival (included in the public reports pack).

The report pack also included an email from Father Charles Card-Reynolds of All Saints Church, stating that the Parochial Church Council had not granted permission to Mr Francis, or anyone else, to use the church land for trading during the Notting Hill Carnival, and that all applications needed to be made through Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Licensing Policy Considerations

The report pack included extracts from the council's Statement of Licensing Policy, emphasising the four licensing objectives¹ which are:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

The Statement of Licensing Policy also highlights specific considerations for Notting Hill Carnival, including the recommendation that TENs for events within the carnival footprint should be submitted at least 12 weeks in advance to allow for full discussion between the organiser and interested parties. The policy also notes that the council will pay particular attention to measures proposed to limit the numbers of attendees to 499 at any one time, and that the council places public safety at Carnival extremely highly, being aware of the dangers of 'human bottlenecks' in the Carnival footprint.