The Licensing Sub-Committee of Ealing Council was scheduled to consider an application to review the premises licence for Lady Margaret Superstore. The meeting's agenda also included procedural matters.

Review Application for Lady Margaret Superstore

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application to review the premises licence for Lady Margaret Superstore, located at 480 Lady Margaret Road, Southall, UB1 2NW. The Ealing Council Licensing Enforcement and Compliance team applied for this review.

The report pack indicated that the committee was asked to consider the application and any representations made, with the potential to:

• Modify the conditions of the licence.
• Exclude a licensable activity from the licence.
• Suspend the licence for a period not exceeding three months.
• Revoke the licence.
• Leave the licence as it is.

The application for review was made by the Ealing Council Licensing Enforcement and Compliance team, citing concerns related to the Prevention of Crime & Disorder licensing objective. Evidence presented in the report pack included statements from Licensing Compliance & Enforcement Officer Robert Dear and Home Office Immigration Enforcement Officers.

Allegations detailed in the documentation included:

• The employment of illegal workers, with a statement from an Immigration Officer, Adam Goodchild, detailing the detention and interview of an individual who admitted to working at the premises for cash.
• The sale of illicit and non-compliant products, specifically mentioning the discovery of 50 non-compliant vapes (above 600 puffs) and beers with an ABV ranging from 5% to 9% that were not price-marked, breaching a condition imposed at a previous review hearing in September 2010.
• A previous incident on 25 June 2019 where illicit cigarettes were found concealed at the premises, and beers in the alcohol fridge were not price-marked.

The report pack also outlined the council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹, which includes core hours for licensable activities. For premises selling alcohol for consumption off the premises, the core hours are Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 23:30, and Friday to Saturday, and Bank Holiday Sundays from 10:00 to 00:00 (midnight). The policy states that applications outside these core hours are considered on their own merit, taking into account operating schedules, proximity to residential accommodation, and potential noise and nuisance.

The report pack also referenced the legal implications under the Licensing Act 2003², which requires licensing authorities to promote four key objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. It also noted the relevance of the Human Rights Act 1998³, particularly Articles 6 (right to a fair trial), 8 (right to respect for private and family life), and Article 1 of the First Protocol (protection of property).

The report pack included proposed additional conditions to be added to the premises licence, which included requirements for a Personal Licence holder to be on duty when alcohol is sold, operating a Challenge 25 policy, maintaining a refusals book, regular staff training, and ensuring alcohol is not stored on the floor or behind the counter. It also proposed conditions related to the purchase of stock and the verification of staff's right to work in the UK.