The Licensing Sub-Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council met on Monday 15 January 2024 to consider a new premises licence application for Little Peeps Soft Play. The committee decided to grant the licence, subject to several conditions, after hearing representations from the applicant and the Director of Public Health.

Licensing Application for Little Peeps Soft Play

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a new Premises Licence to Little Peeps Soft Play, located at 328-330 Hook Road, Chessington, KT9 1NU. The application sought to permit the retail sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises between 13:00 and 17:00, Monday to Sunday, with opening hours from 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday, and 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays.

The Director of Public Health for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Iona Lidington, had raised a representation against the application, citing concerns about the protection of children from harm. Ms Lidington argued that introducing alcohol into a child-specific venue could lead to moral, psychological, and physical harm, potentially impacting children's mental wellbeing and normalising alcohol consumption at a young age. She highlighted Kingston's high rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths, and the potential for impaired adult supervision leading to accidents.

However, the applicant, represented by Caiy Gandolfi, assured the committee that alcohol would only be sold in small bottles of wine and beer (up to 5.5% ABV), with no spirits permitted. The applicant also stated that alcohol would only be served via table service to customers attending booked events or parties, with strict time limits for these sessions. The applicant emphasised that the venue was not conducive to excessive alcohol consumption and that staff would be trained to prevent underage sales and manage any incidents. The Metropolitan Police and the Council's Trading Standards Officer had initially raised concerns but withdrew their representations after the applicant made amendments to their operating schedule.

The Licensing Sub-Committee, chaired by Councillor Noel Hadjimichael, considered the application in line with the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ and the guidance issued by the Secretary of State under the Licensing Act 2003². They concluded that the evidence of substantive harm to children was insufficient to warrant a rejection. The committee granted the licence, imposing conditions including:

• Alcohol Sales: Limited to Monday to Sunday, 13:00 to 17:00, for consumption on the premises only.
• Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00; Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00.
• CCTV: Installation and maintenance of a comprehensive CCTV system.
• Staff Training: Mandatory training for all staff on alcohol sales, underage sales prevention, and Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE).
• Incident Logbook: To record all crime, ejections, complaints, disorder, and refusals of alcohol sales.
• Personal Licence Holder: A personal licence holder must be present to supervise all alcohol sales.
• Alcohol Restrictions: Only low-ABV beer, lager, cider, or ale (under 5.5% ABV) to be sold in cans or bottles. No spirits to be sold. Alcohol to be served only to customers attending a booked session or event, not the general public.
• Age Verification: Challenge 25 policy to be implemented for alcohol sales.
• Refusals Book: To be maintained for all instances of alcohol sales refusal.
• Notices: Prominent display of notices regarding sales restrictions to children and CCTV operation.

The committee noted that the promotion of Public Health is not a specific licensing objective under the Licensing Act 2003, although they must consider the protection of children from harm. They also acknowledged the possibility of a review of the licence should any issues arise.