The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Thursday 2 July 2026. The committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for Jay Food & Wine. The committee decided to refuse the application for extended hours but agreed to modify the licence conditions.

Variation of Premises Licence for Jay Food & Wine

The meeting focused on an application by Alagathurai Vijeyakanthan, the holder of the premises licence for Jay Food & Wine at 123A Broad Street, Dagenham RM10 9HP. The application sought to extend the sale of alcohol hours from 8am to midnight, Monday to Sunday, and to extend the premises' opening hours from 7am to 1am daily.

Representations against the application were submitted by the Metropolitan Police, the Council's Licensing Department, and the Council's Trading Standards Department. These representations raised concerns regarding the premises' compliance with existing licence conditions and the promotion of the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

The Metropolitan Police objected due to concerns that the applicant had not demonstrated the ability to adhere to current hours and conditions, citing an incident on 2 June 2026 where officers found the premises open beyond permitted hours, with staff unable to produce the licence or operate the CCTV system. Police also noted that the proposed conditions in the applicant's response were considered inadequate.

The Council's Licensing Department echoed these concerns, pointing to evidence of the premises operating beyond its permitted hours on multiple occasions and a prolonged period of the CCTV system being non-operational. They also highlighted a lack of effective management oversight and inadequate staff training.

Trading Standards raised objections based on the sale of illicit tobacco products and a vaping product to a 14-year-old test purchaser. They argued that these incidents demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance and a disregard for the law.

During the hearing, the applicant, Alagathurai Vijeyakanthan, stated that he had provided training to his staff and that the CCTV system was now operational. He also explained that he had applied for extended hours to match neighbouring businesses.

After deliberation, the Sub-Committee decided to refuse the variation in so far as the additional hours requested. The committee agreed to modify the licence conditions by adopting the conditions proposed by the police, along with additional conditions drawn from model licence conditions. These new conditions include restrictions on the sale of single cans and bottles, requirements for detailed and regular staff training (every six months), and stipulations that alcohol supplies must come from HMRC-approved sellers, with no acceptance of goods from door-to-door sellers. The committee also expressed concerns about the applicant's understanding of the licensing objectives and recommended seeking a reputable third-party provider for training. The full written decision is to be provided within five days.