The Bromley Council Licensing Sub-Committee is scheduled to convene to consider an application for a variation of a premises licence. The application concerns the Three Hounds Beer Cafe and Bottle Shop, and has drawn a significant number of representations both for and against.

Here's what the report pack says will be up for discussion:

Three Hounds Beer Cafe and Bottle Shop Licence Application

The main item on the agenda is an application to vary the premises licence for the Three Hounds Beer Cafe and Bottle Shop at 57-59 Beckenham Road, BR3 4PR. The application seeks to extend the licensable area to include number 59 Beckenham Road.

According to the report pack, the application is for:

• The sale of alcohol on and off the premises.
• Regulated entertainment, including plays, films, live and recorded music.
• Opening hours from 10:00 to 23:30, Monday to Sunday.
• The sale of alcohol from 11:00 to 23:00, Monday to Sunday.
• Live and recorded music from 11:00 to 23:00, Monday to Sunday.

The Licensing Sub-Committee will be asked to consider the application in light of Bromley's Statement of Licensing Policy 2025 to 2030, and any representations made by the applicant, objectors, and supporters. The options available to the members include:

1. Granting the application in full.
2. Granting the application with amendments to licensable activities or additional conditions to promote licensing objectives.
3. Excluding licensable activities from the scope of the licence.
4. Refusing the application.

The report pack notes that six objections and 287 representations in support of the application were received during the consultation period.

Representations

The report pack includes summaries of the representations received.

Supporters of the Three Hounds Beer Cafe and Bottle Shop mention that it is:

• A community hub.
• A safe and social place.
• Family-friendly.
• Supportive of local sports teams and charities, such as Beckenham Rugby Club¹ and St Christopher's Hospice.
• A venue for local artists and musicians.

Objectors raise concerns regarding:

• Potential public nuisance due to noise, obstruction and antisocial behaviour.
• Public safety, citing pathway obstruction and unclear fire safety compliance.
• Lack of acoustic insulation or a noise management plan.
• The suitability of further bar expansion within a residential area.

One objector, who owns a flat in Nelson House, which adjoins 57-59 Beckenham Road, raised concerns about the building's suitability for licenced activities, and the impact on residents. They also claim that the existing premises has issues with customers blocking the doorway and that the proposed expansion would increase capacity by 50 odd seats , increasing footfall and congestion.

Another objector claims that the Three Hounds Beer Cafe and Bottle Shop is frequently very busy, with tables and customers occupying much of the public footpath, despite there being no clear evidence of a properly licensed outdoor area , and that on numerous occasions, there have been large groups of intoxicated patrons outside the premises, being loud and smoking, contributing to significant noise disturbance in an otherwise residential area.

Planning Issues

The report pack notes that the Planning Authority initially objected to the variation, but withdrew the objection after conciliation with the applicant, Matthew Walden, of Three Hounds Bar & Brewery.

Correspondence included in the report pack indicates that the Planning Authority's initial objection was related to the premises not having planning permission for the hours it wished to open. Planning permission 20/00379/FULL1 stipulated that the use shall not operate before 11:00 or after 22:30 on any day to safeguard the amenities of the adjoining premises and the area generally .

In response, Matthew Walden stated that he planned to keep to the existing hours out of respect to neighbours, and would reapply for a change of use to include 59 Beckenham Road, with the idea of extending the operating hours to 23:00. He also offered to adjust the sale of alcohol to 22:30 until a change of use was granted.

Environmental Health

The Environmental Protection Officer did not object to the application, but submitted information to assist the sub-committee.

The report pack includes a summary of a noise assessment carried out by the Nuisance and Anti-Social Behaviour Team in August 2025, following a noise complaint regarding patrons at 57 Beckenham Road. The findings concluded that the noise from patrons did not amount to a statutory nuisance[^3] under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The summary stated that:

• The dominant noise source across all recordings was vehicular traffic.
• The voices of patrons socialising on the pavement below were occasionally audible, but only during brief lulls in traffic.

The Environmental Protection Officer also corresponded with Matthew Walden regarding measures to prevent public nuisance before the opening of 59 Beckenham Road. Matthew Walden stated that he did not plan on opening next door until all soundproofing had been done.

Licensing Inspections

The report pack mentions that a licensing inspection in August 2025 identified a number of minor administrative breaches of the premises licence, and a formal warning letter was issued to the premises.

A further licensing inspection in October 2025 found the premises to be broadly compliant with the conditions of the licence, with the exception that the CCTV system retained recordings for 26 days, rather than the required 31 days.

Councillor Comments

The report pack includes emails from Councillor Jessica Arnold and Councillor Josh King, expressing their support for the application. Councillor King stated that his comments in support of the original application still apply to this one, and that the shop being used for the expansion has been empty for a number of years and this development would help the viability of the parade.