Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: November 20, 2025

Purpose:

Content: Notification of decision following a Licensing Panel hearing to determine an application for the variation of a premises licence under section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003   PREMISES:    The Great Conservatory, Syon Park, Brentford, TW8 8JF   APPLICANT:  Syon House Ventures    TAKE NOTICE THAT on Thursday 20th November 2025following a hearing before the Licensing and General Purposes Sub Committee (the “Licensing Panel” or “Panel”),   HOUNSLOW COUNCIL, as the Licensing Authority for the Premises RESOLVED as follows:   To Grant, the application for the variation of a premises licence for The Great Conservatory, Syon Park, Brentford, TW8 8JF, as follows:   ·        Supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises: Monday to Sunday 10:00 to 01:00   ·        Performance of Plays - Indoors Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 01:00   ·        Exhibition of Films – Indoors Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 01:00   ·        Live Music – Indoors Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 01:00   ·        Recorded Music - Indoors Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 01:00   ·        Performance of Dance - Indoors Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 01:00   ·        Late Night Refreshment - Indoors Monday to Sunday 23:00 to 01:00   ·        The opening hours of the premises: Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 02:00       Amendments to Premises Licence Conditions:   (1)    A function manager and Security Industry Act 2001 (SIA) Steward must be present at every event where licensable activity is occurring, when the expected capacity of that event exceeds 30 visitors.   (12) The number of persons accommodated within the Great Conservatory will not exceed 350, or if seated at tables, will not exceed 180.   (13) The doors leading to the Lily Pond and Cactus Houses shall be unlocked at all times the premises are in use under the terms of this licence.   (14) During all functions where regulated entertainment is occurring, only the doors and windows on the inside of the building, facing onto the formal lawns, may be kept open until 21:30 hours, at which point they must be closed and only used for ingress and egress of the building. This condition includes the doors and windows of both the Lily Pond area and the Cactus House, located on either end of the building.   (15) During all functions where regulated entertainment is occurring, doors and windows on the outer side of the building, facing onto the rear lawns, must always be kept closed unless required for wheelchair or emergency access to or from the building; this includes planned alterations to the building at the Lily Pond end, which will relate to WC access. This includes doors and windows in both the Lily Pond and Cactus House area, located at either end of the building. However, it does permit use of doors to vacate the premises after cessation of functions past permitted times for licensable activities.     Reasons     1.           The Panel convened in person to determine an application from Syon House Ventures (the “Applicant”), to vary their existing premises licence H00311 (the “Current Licence”) for The Great Conservatory, Syon Park, Brentford, TW8 8JF (the “Premises”) under the Licensing Act 2003.    2.           The Premises is a glass conservatory and surrounding grounds shown as the “Back Garden”, “Front gardens/ Front Lawns” and the “Thames Yard” on the Premises licence plan attached to the application.  The Premises are located in Syon Park with housing adjacent to the park.   In addition to Syon House, there is also an event space known as the Clementine that is within part of the Syon House grounds, and a Hilton Hotel, which is within Syon Park.  A premises licence application has been submitted for Syon House, and the Clementine and the Hilton Hotel already have a premises licence.    3.           At the hearing, the Applicant was represented by Mike Nickson of Inn Confidence, along with Victoria Corke and Tori Holcomb of the Applicant and Michael Baxter, an Agent for the Duke of Northumberland.    4.           The objectors consist of residents living near to the Premises and Syon Park.  Two of the objectors attended the hearing.   5.           In making its decision, the Panel considered all the relevant information, including:   ·        Written and Oral representations by all the parties ·        The Licensing Act 2003 and the steps appropriate to promote the Licensing Objectives ·        The guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 (the “Statutory Guidance”) ·        Hounslow Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy 2020-2025 (the “Council’s Policy”) ·        The Human Rights Act 1998   6.           The Current Licence permits the supply of alcohol between 12:00 to 00:00 Monday to Sunday, for music and dancing between 09:00 and 00:00 Monday to Sunday and for opening hours between 09:00 and 00:00 Monday to Sunday.  Therefore, the application seeks to extend the scope of licensable activities, extend the termination time for licensable activities to 01:00, extend the closing time to 02:00 and increase the areas used for licensable activities.   7.           The Applicant confirmed they were also seeking to update some of the current licence conditions, such as to expand the maximum capacity of the Premises, to clarify issues regarding the use of SIA staff and to clarify the use of certain areas of the Premises. The variation also seeks to extend the areas from which alcohol may be supplied to include temporary structures in the outside spaces or consumed there, having been purchased from within the conservatory building.   8.           The Panel was informed that the Premises deals with a lot of events and weddings, and they already look to close the windows of the Great Conservatory from around 21:00 (the Current Licence stipulates this must be done by 21:30) in order to keep noise within the building.  The amplified music in the Great Conservatory goes through a sound limiter and the Panel was also told they do sound checks around the Great Conservatory, usually on 3 occasions around 19:00, 21:00 and 23:00, at 3 different locations that were described to the Panel.  They also have conditions restricting the playing of dhols and bagpipes after 21:00 as these are unamplified instruments that can get quite loud.    9.           The objectors all raised the same concerns over the increased risk of noise nuisance that may be caused if the Premises are allowed to stay open later.  The representations are set out in Appendix C and were reiterated by the objectors in attendance at the hearing.   10.       With regard to the objections, there is reference to existing noise nuisance in the representations, although it was not entirely clear to the Panel how much of any such nuisance was caused by events at the Premises under the Current Licence, as opposed to other events or premises elsewhere in Syon Park.  The reason for this is that while some of the objections reference noise from the Conservatory, another objection refers to revellers leaving functions at Syon House, which is a different premises that are not currently licensed.  It also refers to cans and bottles being thrown over their garden walls, but the Current Licence does not permit off-sales of alcohol, which suggests this anti-social behaviour is by people attending other events.  Also, whilst the representations refer to hearing music from the Conservatory, it is not clear to the Panel when this music can be heard and to what extent.  This is relevant as the Current Licence requires only the doors and windows facing the front lawn to be kept open until 21:30, and thereafter they must be kept closed save to access and egress.  If the music and noise was mainly before 21:30 on event days that would indicate the conditions on the Current Licence are being applied and are having an effect.  If the noise nuisance was after 21:30 then that would indicate there may be an ongoing public nuisance despite the current licensing conditions, which may require further action and/or further licensing conditions to address the same.   The objectors present at the hearing stated they had not heard any dhol drums from the Premises, which might suggest the Premises was responsibly managing noise levels, however the Panel did not ask the Applicant whether there had been any events at which a dhol was used.   11.       Taking all matters into consideration, the Panel has decided to grant the application to vary the premises licence as set out in the application, which includes amendment of the Premises licence plan and amendment of conditions 1, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in Annex 2 of the Current Licence.   12.       The Panel would like to remind all parties that if a licenced premises is causing a nuisance and/or breaching the terms of their premises licence, be that the Premises or any premises, then a party is entitled to apply for a review of that premises licence, which should be supported by evidence.    Right to Appeal   Any party aggrieved with the decision of the Licensing Panel on one or more grounds set out in schedule 5 of Licensing Act 2003 may appeal to the local Magistrate’s Court within