The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Thursday 4 January 2024 to consider an application for a new premises licence for Los Arrieros De Pito, located at Arch 144, Eagle Yard Ground Floor, 10 Hampton Street, London SE1 6SP. After hearing representations from the applicant, responsible authorities, and local residents, the sub-committee decided to grant the licence with specific conditions regarding operating hours and other operational matters.

Licensing Act 2003: Los Arrieros De Pito, Arch 144, Eagle Yard Ground Floor, 10 Hampton Street, London SE1 6SP

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a premises licence to Los Arrieros De Pito Ltd for Arch 144, Eagle Yard Ground Floor, 10 Hampton Street, London SE1 6SP. The decision was made after considering representations from the applicant, responsible authorities (Metropolitan Police Service, Trading Standards, and Licensing), and local residents.

The applicant's representative stated that the premises operates as a restaurant, serving Latin American and English food, and that alcohol would only be served ancillary to a table meal. They confirmed that the applicant had agreed to conditions regarding no al fresco dining, sufficient toilet facilities (including a future disabled toilet), and a commitment to avoid single-use plastics. The applicant's representative also confirmed that the premises had been operating as a restaurant since September 2023 without an alcohol licence and that residents had not experienced any problems in the last three months.

Responsible authorities, including the Metropolitan Police Service, Trading Standards, and the council's licensing team, had initially raised concerns. However, through conciliation, agreements were reached, and their objections were withdrawn. These agreements led to a comprehensive schedule of conditions being attached to the licence, covering areas such as CCTV, staff training, dispersal policies, incident logs, and age verification.

Local residents, however, raised significant objections, primarily focusing on the prevention of public nuisance, crime and disorder, and public safety. They highlighted a history of anti-social behaviour, noise disturbances, public urination, and even serious criminal incidents linked to licensed premises in the Maldonado Walk area. Concerns were also raised about the cumulative impact of multiple licensed venues in close proximity to residential buildings like Draper House and Strata SE1 tower. Residents requested specific conditions, including a restaurant condition (alcohol only with a substantial meal), a dispersal policy, limitations on waste disposal times, contact details for management, and arrangements for smokers.

Despite the residents' concerns about the area being a hotspot for anti-social behaviour and crime, the sub-committee noted that the premises had been operating as a food-led restaurant for three months without reported issues. They also considered that the applicant had agreed to many of the conditions requested by residents through the conciliation process with responsible authorities.

The sub-committee decided to grant the licence with the following hours:

• Supply of alcohol – to be consumed on the premises: Monday to Saturday: 09:00 to 20:30; Sunday: 10:00 to 20:30.
• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday: 09:00 to 21:00.

The licence is subject to mandatory conditions, conditions derived from the operating schedule, and the detailed conciliated conditions agreed with the Metropolitan Police Service, licensing, and Trading Standards, which are attached to the notice of decision. The sub-committee acknowledged the residents' concerns about the cumulative impact of licensed premises in the area and noted that Elephant and Castle is a monitoring area. Residents were urged to report any future complaints to the relevant responsible authority and were informed of their right to request a licence review if premises consistently breach licence terms or undermine licensing objectives.

The previous licence application for the same premises under Ponce's Corporation in August 2021 was refused due to concerns about the applicant's adherence to conditions and the promotion of licensing objectives. However, in this instance, the sub-committee was satisfied that the applicant's proposed operating model as a food-led restaurant, coupled with the extensive agreed conditions, would mitigate the risks to the licensing objectives.