The Licensing Sub Committee was scheduled to convene to consider applications for premises licences across Cardiff. These applications included requests to sell alcohol at a community cafe, convenience stores, and other establishments. The report pack for the meeting is available to the public online¹.

Premier, Queen Street

An application from Hardi Ali Fatahi for a premises licence at Premier, 119 Queen Street sought permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises between 07:00 and 23:00, Monday to Sunday.

According to the applicant, the premises is a ground-floor retail unit within Cardiff City Centre's primary shopping and pedestrian area, operating as a modern convenience store. The application stated that alcohol sales would be a limited selection for off-sales only, displayed within secure shelving behind the counter and within clearly defined areas of the shop floor.

Representations against the application were received from South Wales Police and the Senior Licensing Enforcement Officer. South Wales Police objected under Cardiff City Council's cumulative impact policy², stating a belief that the area is already saturated with off-licences, causing a disproportionate amount of crime and disorder within the City Centre. The Senior Licensing Enforcement Officer also objected, citing concerns about crime and disorder, public nuisance, and public safety. They noted that Queen Street consistently ranks among the top three locations for crime in Cardiff, despite having few pubs or bars.

Deccan Express, Richards Street

Deccan Creators Ltd applied for a premises licence for Deccan Express, 123 Richards Street, seeking permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The applicant described the premises as occupying approximately 47 square meters of trading space on a corner plot, providing frontage onto two adjoining side roads. The interior layout was described as open and clearly zoned, featuring vinyl flooring and distinct product areas for groceries, confectionery, vape products, phone accessories, parcel and top-up services, and alcohol sales.

A representation was received from South Wales Police, as well as from a local resident and a local ward Councillor. South Wales Police initially objected to the application, but indicated that they would withdraw their objection if the applicant agreed to a number of conditions, including reduced hours for alcohol sales (07:00 to 02:00), the installation of a CCTV system, the implementation of an incident reporting system, and staff training on various issues, including contacting emergency services, emergency evacuation procedures, basic health and safety, and the promotion of the Licensing Objectives.

Other proposed conditions included:

• The operation of a 'Challenge 25' policy³.
• The prominent display of notices requesting customers to respect local residents and leave the area quietly.
• The sale of alcohol only in containers sealed at the time of manufacture.
• The use of an age-restricted till prompt system.
• Restrictions on the display of alcohol.
• A ban on the sale of beer/lager/cider or caffeinated drinks with an ABV greater than 6.5%.
• A minimum purchase of 4 cans of beer/lager/cider.
• A ban on customer-selection of spirits other than spirit mixer drinks.
• A ban on home delivery service of alcoholic beverages.

Spar, The Mill

A.F. Blakemore & Son Limited T/A Blakemore Retail applied for a premises licence for Spar, Units 2&3 The Mill, 220 B/C The Boulevard, seeking permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises between 06:00 and 23:00, Monday to Sunday.

The applicant described the proposed premises as a newly built convenience store located within a residential area, together with 2 other commercial units.

South Wales Police lodged a representation, objecting to the grant of a new premises licence, citing concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. They stated that they had presented a number of conditions to the applicant which they deemed appropriate and proportionate to the premise in order to promote and uphold the licensing objectives, but that the applicant had only agreed to four of these conditions.

The conditions that South Wales Police sought to have implemented included:

• The installation of a CCTV system to a standard approved by South Wales Police.
• The implementation of an incident reporting system.
• Staff training on various issues, including contacting emergency services, emergency evacuation procedures, basic health and safety, and the promotion of the Licensing Objectives.
• The operation of a 'Challenge 25' policy.
• The prominent display of notices requesting customers to respect local residents and leave the area quietly.
• The sale of alcohol only in containers which were sealed at the time of manufacture.
• The use of an age-restricted till prompt system.
• Restrictions on the display of alcohol.
• A ban on the sale of beer/lager/cider or caffeinated drinks with an ABV greater than 6.5%.
• A minimum purchase of 4 cans of beer/lager/cider.
• A ban on customer-selection of spirits other than spirit mixer drinks.
• A ban on home delivery service of alcoholic beverages.

Dalton Yard, Cathays

Oliver Bennett applied for a premises licence for Dalton Yard, Dalton Street, seeking permission to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises. The proposed hours for licensable activities were Monday to Sunday, 12:00 to 23:00, with an extension to 00:30 on New Year's Eve.

The applicant described the premises as a Community Cafe / bar / food pop up. Partially covered outdoor area, arts, crafts, music. Available for hire. Approx 5m X 5m seating and a similar kitchen area.

Representations were received from South Wales Police, Pollution Control, and other persons. South Wales Police initially objected to the grant of the application, citing concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance. However, they indicated that they would withdraw their objection if the applicant agreed to a number of conditions, including reduced hours for licensable activities (12:00 to 22:00), reworded conditions regarding staff training and the Challenge 25 policy, and the inclusion of additional conditions such as the secure storage and display of alcohol, a ban on self-service of alcohol, and a dispersal policy.

Pollution Control also initially lodged a representation, but withdrew it after the applicant agreed to conditions relating to noise levels, waste collection, and deliveries.

Other representations were received from local residents and Councillors, raising concerns about noise, anti-social behaviour, and disruption to residents. Councillor Norma Mackie, along with Councillors Sarah Merry, Chris Weaver and Ali Ahmed, objected to the application on the grounds that it would not promote the Licensing Objectives, citing concerns about increased noise, anti-social behaviour, and disruption to residents.