A Licensing Sub-Committee of Kensington and Chelsea Council is scheduled to consider an objection to a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for a premises on Portobello Road. The meeting will also cover the procedure for handling such objections.

Objection to Temporary Event Notice at What a Week

The primary focus of the meeting is to consider an objection to a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) submitted by Mr Guney Yesildag for the premises known as WHAT A WEEK , located at Ground Floor, 252 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LL. The objection has been raised by PC Jinelle Caldinez on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, citing concerns related to public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder.

The TEN proposes the sale of alcohol off the premises during the Notting Hill Carnival 2026, specifically on Sunday 30 August and Monday 31 August, between midday and 7pm each day. The maximum number of people to be permitted at any one time is stated as seven.

The Metropolitan Police's objection highlights that the premises is situated on the Portobello Road parade route, an area that experiences significant pedestrian traffic and restricted space during the Notting Hill Carnival. The police argue that the sale of alcohol from premises not officially accounted for by the Carnival organisers could lead to queues, crowd build-up, and bottlenecks, impeding the safe movement of people and emergency services.

According to the report pack, the police state:

The Police state that the premises user has not demonstrated how the proposed activity would support the licensing objectives and has not provided sufficient information regarding crowd and queue management, stewarding, security arrangements or other crowd control measures. They also state that an adequate risk assessment, site plan and details of how public safety risks would be managed have not been provided.

Furthermore, the police suggest that the proposed sale of alcohol into the public highway may require a street trading licence, and any unauthorised street trading would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective. The applicant is also noted as not having consulted the police prior to submitting the TEN.

The report pack outlines the steps the Licensing Sub-Committee may take, which include issuing a counter notice if deemed necessary for the promotion of licensing objectives, taking no action and allowing the notice to have effect, or imposing conditions if the premises already has a premises licence. The committee will need to consider the council's Statement of Licensing Policy¹ and the Secretary of State's Guidance² when making its decision.

The report also notes that the premises currently holds a premises licence that permits the sale of alcohol on the premises and late-night refreshment.