The Licensing Sub-Committee of Ealing Council was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Northfield Food & Wine. The meeting's agenda also included a procedural guidance note.

Panel Procedure Guidance Note

The committee was scheduled to consider a guidance note regarding the procedure for Licensing Sub-Committee hearings. This document outlines the general process for such meetings, including how applicants and those making representations will present their cases, and how decisions will be reached and communicated.

New Premises Licence for Northfield Food & Wine

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application for a new premises licence for Northfield Food & Wine, located at 16 Northfield Avenue, West Ealing, W13 9RJ. The application was made by Mr Satnam Singh Khatri and sought permission for the retail sale of alcohol for off-premises consumption, with proposed opening hours from 08:00 to 23:30 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 23:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:00 to 23:00 on Sundays. The premises are currently operating as a convenience store.

The report pack indicated that one representation objecting to the application had been received from local residents in the form of a petition. This representation raised concerns related to the prevention of crime and disorder, prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The report also detailed that certain conditions had been agreed between the applicant and the Walpole Residents' Association on 12 March 2026. These included:

• Spirits to be kept behind the counter and not available for customer self-service.
• Alcohol to be kept behind shutters or in locked refrigerators outside licensable hours.

Additionally, conditions were agreed between the applicant and the Metropolitan Police Service on 20 March 2026, which stated:

• No disposable cups, such as plastic or paper, are to be kept behind the till area, and alcohol is not to be decanted into them for customers to take away.
• Alcohol must be stored behind shutters when the premises are open but outside of licensed hours.

The committee was asked to consider the application, the operating schedule, any relevant representations, and the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ in relation to the proposals. The potential outcomes for the committee to consider included granting the application as submitted, granting it with additional or modified conditions, excluding certain licensable activities, refusing to specify a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), or rejecting the application entirely.

The Council's Statement of Licensing Policy, adopted in July 2025, outlines core hours for the supply of alcohol and late-night refreshment. For premises selling alcohol off the premises, the core hours are Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 23:30, and Friday to Saturday from 10:00 to 00:00 (midnight), with Sundays from 11:00 to 23:00. Applications outside these core hours are considered on their own merit, taking into account factors such as proximity to residential accommodation and potential noise nuisance.

The report pack also highlighted legal implications under the Licensing Act 2003, including the right to appeal decisions to a magistrate's court. Human Rights Act 1998 considerations, particularly Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life), and Article 1 of the First Protocol (protection of property), were also drawn to the committee's attention.