The Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee of Brent Council was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence. The meeting's agenda included standard procedural items before focusing on the single substantive item.

Application for a New Premises Licence at Newsfare

The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application for a new premises licence for Newsfare, located at 33 Craven Park Road, NW10 8SE. The application was made by Mr Abdeen Nagoor, with The Licensing Guys acting as his agent.

The applicant sought permission for the sale and supply of alcohol, with proposed operating hours from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. The premises, currently a snack and stationery business, is intended to transition into a convenience store with an off-licence, offering a meal for tonight solution.

The report pack indicated that the premises is situated within the Harlesden Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ)^[1]. This designation signifies an area where the council has identified a concentration of alcohol-related harm, including crime, disorder, public nuisance, and street drinking. The application acknowledged this and stated that the proposed operating schedule and conditions were designed to promote the licensing objectives and not add to any cumulative impact.

Representations were received from a ward councillor, Councillor Matt Kelcher, and a local resident, both objecting to the application. Councillor Kelcher, the Labour Councillor for Harlesden and Kensal Green Ward, argued that granting a new off-licence in a CIZ would exacerbate existing problems, citing police data from 2023 which recorded 154 crimes in a six-month period and a high volume of calls for service in the area. He also expressed concern that extended trading hours could lead to prolonged street drinking and increased nuisance behaviour, and that price competition could make alcohol cheaper and more accessible, undermining the council's objectives for reducing harm. The resident's representation echoed these concerns.

The Licensing Authority's own representations, made by Licensing Enforcement Officer Rhea Vagarwal, requested a comprehensive list of conditions to be included in the operating schedule or added as licence conditions. These included requirements for a digital CCTV system, a Challenge 25 policy, staff training on licensing legislation, an incident log, a refusal book, restrictions on the sale of single cans and miniatures, and a prohibition on selling high-strength beers, lagers, and ciders above 6.0% ABV. The applicant's agent, Nick Semper of The Licensing Guys, indicated that these conditions were accepted and had been incorporated into the operating schedule.

The Metropolitan Police Service, represented by Police Sergeant Michael Sullivan, reviewed the application and proposed conditions and confirmed they were satisfied that the measures were appropriate and proportionate to promote the licensing objectives. Therefore, the Police Responsible Authority did not wish to make any representations against the application.

The report pack also included correspondence regarding the validity of the Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) and Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP), with the applicant's agent raising legal arguments about the expiry of the CIA and the nature of the data used to establish it. The applicant's agent noted that the council was reviewing its CIA and data.

The agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence and clarification of alternate members, and declarations of interest.