The Licensing Sub-Committee (1) is scheduled to consider a variation to a premises licence for German Doner Kebab. The committee will also receive declarations of interest and report any changes to its membership.

German Doner Kebab Premises Licence Variation

The main item scheduled for discussion is an application to vary the premises licence for German Doner Kebab, located at 68-69 St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4JS. The application, submitted by West London Foods Ltd, seeks to extend the hours for late-night refreshment for both takeaway and delivery services.

The current licence permits late-night refreshment from 11:00 pm to 12:00 am (midnight) from Sunday to Thursday, and from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. The proposed variation would extend these hours to 3:00 am every day of the week. Additionally, the applicant is seeking to extend the overall opening hours of the premises from 5:00 am to 3:00 am daily, with specific non-standard timings requested for Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, extending to 5:00 am on these occasions.

Representations have been received from the Metropolitan Police Service, Environmental Health, and the Licensing Authority. The Metropolitan Police Service has raised objections on the grounds that the proposed increase in hours is likely to undermine the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm. PC Adam Deweltz, representing the Metropolitan Police, stated in a witness statement that granting an extension of hours would likely contribute to an increase in crime, particularly given the premises' location within Westminster City Council's Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ). ¹ The police are concerned about increased street robberies, alcohol-related violence, and anti-social behaviour, noting that The provision of Late-Night Refreshment (LNR) is particularly appealing to individuals who have consumed alcohol over the course of the evening. ²

Environmental Health has also submitted a representation, citing concerns that the requested hours would undermine the licensing objectives of preventing public nuisance and public safety. Stephanie Appiah-Anderson, representing Environmental Health, indicated that the proposed variation would impact these objectives.

The Licensing Authority, represented by Jessica Donovan, has also expressed concerns regarding the application's potential impact on all four licensing objectives. The premises is located within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), an area designated due to a high concentration of licensed premises and a significantly higher incident rate of crime compared to the rest of the city. The Licensing Authority's policy, specifically CIP1, states a presumption to refuse applications for fast-food premises within this zone that fall outside of core hours, unless genuinely exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. The report notes that The West End Cumulative Impact Zone has a presumption to refuse certain types of premises use applications that are outside of Core Hours. This policy approach is necessary to promote the licensing objectives. ³

The committee will need to consider the City of Westminster's Statement of Licensing Policy⁴ and guidance issued by the Secretary of State under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003⁵ when making their determination. The report pack includes details of the current premises licence, historical applications, and crime maps for the area.