The Licensing Sub-Committee (2) met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 to consider four applications for premises licences and variations. Decisions were made on all four applications.

University of the Arts London, 16 John Islip Street, SW1P 4JU

The committee granted a new premises licence for the University of the Arts London campus. The application sought to license the canteen, kitchen, banqueting suite, and café areas for the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises, with reduced hours and scope compared to the existing licence. Objections were raised by local residents and Environmental Health concerning potential public nuisance and public safety, particularly regarding noise and anti-social behaviour. The Metropolitan Police initially objected due to insufficient detail in the operating schedule but withdrew their objection after further conditions were agreed. The committee granted the licence with conditions, including that alcohol sales would be ancillary to the educational establishment's function, all alcohol requirements must be pre-booked, and outdoor consumption areas would have restricted hours. The existing licence will be surrendered upon the grant of the new licence.

Alex Coffee, 1 Hanson Street, London, W1W 6TA

A new premises licence was granted for Alex Coffee, a coffee shop and newsagent, to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the premises. The application initially sought hours until 18:30, but this was amended to 18:00 to align with existing planning permissions. Representations were received from the Metropolitan Police, Environmental Health, and local residents. The police withdrew their objection after agreed conditions, including CCTV and an incident log, were accepted. Environmental Health also agreed conditions with the applicant. Local residents expressed concerns about public nuisance and safety, particularly regarding the limited outdoor seating and potential for customers to obstruct the pavement. The committee granted the licence with numerous conditions, including that licensable activities must be ancillary to the café's primary function, a limit on the number of people inside the premises, waiter/waitress service, and a restriction on the types of alcohol sold to exclude beer, cider, and wine.

Salon 64, 14 Bateman Street, London, W1D 3AG

The committee refused an application to vary the premises licence for Salon 64, a hair and beauty salon, which sought to add late-night refreshment and recorded music, extend alcohol sale and opening hours, remove a condition restricting alcohol types, and vary the membership age. The premises is located within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), and the application was considered under policies that presume refusal for such applications unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated. Representations were received from the Licensing Authority, Metropolitan Police, Environmental Health, and the Soho Society, all raising concerns about increased cumulative impact, crime, disorder, and public nuisance. The committee found that the applicant had not demonstrated exceptional circumstances to override the policy presumption against granting the variation, concluding that the application would negatively impact the West End CIZ and undermine the licensing objectives.

Foreign Exchange News, 22 Leinster Terrace W2 3ET

A new premises licence was granted for Foreign Exchange News, a business operating as a foreign exchange bureau, coffee shop, and newsagent. The application sought permission to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the premises between 11:00 and 23:00 daily. Representations were received from the Metropolitan Police, Environmental Health, and the South East Bayswater Residents' Association (SEBRA). The police and Environmental Health withdrew their objections after conditions were agreed with the applicant. SEBRA raised concerns about public nuisance and safety, requesting additional conditions, including a reduced terminal hour for alcohol sales on Sundays, restrictions on alcohol strength, and controls on takeaway sales and deliveries. The committee granted the licence with a comprehensive set of conditions agreed with the police and SEBRA, including that licensable activities must be ancillary to the newsagent and coffee shop function, CCTV requirements, a Challenge 25 policy, restrictions on alcohol types and strength, and controls on deliveries and waste collection.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Maggie Carman (Chair), Councillor Judith Southern, and Councillor Tim Mitchell.