The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council was scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence for the Canterbury Arms pub. The meeting's agenda focused on this single, significant item, which involved reviewing the application in light of representations from various parties.

Licensing Act 2003: Canterbury Arms, 2-4 Maddock Way, London SE17 3NH

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application for a premises licence for the Canterbury Arms, located at 2-4 Maddock Way, London SE17 3NH. The application was made by Maurice Collins and Aidan Collins under the Licensing Act 2003¹.

The report pack indicated that the application sought to permit the sale of alcohol for both on and off-site consumption from Monday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 23:00. The proposed opening hours for the premises were Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 23:30. Special non-standard timings were requested for Bank Holiday weekends and New Year's Eve, extending hours to 00:00 for licensable activities and 00:30 for opening, with New Year's Eve extending to 01:00 and 01:30 respectively. The premises were described as a Public house and Aidan Collins was proposed as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

The application was referred to the licensing sub-committee for determination due to seven representations being submitted in objection. These representations came from responsible authorities and other persons.

Representations from Responsible Authorities:

• Metropolitan Police Service: The police objected to the application as submitted, citing that the requested hours exceeded those recommended in Southwark's Statement of Licensing Policy². They noted that the premises had recently been subject to a serious crime and disorder incident that led to the revocation of the previous premises licence. While objecting, the police indicated they were open to working with the applicant to progress the application.
• Southwark Council's Trading Standards Service: This service initially requested additional conditions related to the protection of children from harm. However, the report pack indicated that the applicant agreed to these conditions, and Trading Standards subsequently withdrew their representation. The agreed conditions included the implementation of a Challenge 25 proof of age scheme, training for staff on preventing underage sales, prominent signage regarding the age verification policy, and the maintenance of a refused sales register.

Representations from Other Persons:

Five representations were submitted by four local residents and one local ward councillor. These objections raised several concerns:

• Previous Licence Revocation: Concerns were raised about a previous premises licence review that led to its revocation, following a fatality linked to the premises.
• Anti-social Behaviour and Nuisance: Allegations included past incidents of anti-social behaviour, violence, drug dealing, noise nuisance, and the potential for the premises to attract drunk and disorderly individuals.
• Operating Hours and Conditions: Objections were made regarding the proposed operating hours being too long and a lack of sufficient proposed conditions to address licensing objectives.
• Impact on Local Residents: Concerns were expressed about the adverse effects on families with young children and other residents due to potential noise, intoxication, and confrontational behaviour.
• Applicant Suitability: A request was made for guarantees that previous management would have no future involvement in the premises' operation.

Licence History of the Premises:

The report detailed a complex history of previous premises licences and Designated Premises Supervisors at the Canterbury Arms. Notably, on 25 November 2025, the Metropolitan Police applied for a summary review of the premises licence following a serious incident. A hearing on 18 December 2025 resulted in the revocation of the premises licence. The report stated that while this was a new application, and there was no indication of prior interest from the current applicants, the previous licence history was provided for context.

Southwark Council's Statement of Licensing Policy:

The sub-committee was directed to consider Southwark's Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026³, which outlines the council's approach to licensing applications, including considerations for location, management standards, cumulative impact, and operating hours. The premises were noted as falling within a residential area, and the policy recommended a closing time of 23:00 for public houses in such areas.

Climate Change, Community, and Equalities Impacts:

The report also highlighted the council's commitment to considering climate change implications, although it was noted that this was not a legal factor in determining premises licence applications. The report stated that community, equalities, and health impacts were considered on a case-by-case basis, with due regard to the public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010⁴.