The Panel of the Committee of the Licensing Authority of South Holland Council met on Thursday, 9 July 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was an application for a premises licence for The Old Black Lion in Chapelgate, Gedney, following the receipt of relevant representations.

The Old Black Lion, Chapelgate, Gedney

The meeting was scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence for The Old Black Lion, located at Chapelgate, Gedney¹. The applicant, Mr Maurice Chevalier, sought to obtain a licence to permit several licensable activities. These included live and recorded music indoors from Monday to Sunday, 23:00 to 00:00; late-night refreshment indoors from Sunday to Thursday, 23:00 to 00:00, and Friday to Saturday, 23:00 to 01:00; and the retail sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises from Sunday to Thursday, 10:30 to 00:00, and Friday to Saturday, 10:30 to 01:00. The premises would be open to the public from 10:30 to 00:00 Sunday to Thursday, and 10:30 to 01:00 Friday to Saturday.

A key aspect of the discussion was a representation received from Lincolnshire Police². The police raised concerns regarding the proposed hours, specifically the absence of a 30-minute wind-down or drink-up period between the end of licensable activities and the premises' closure time. They also requested the imposition of specific CCTV conditions. Lincolnshire Police argued that these measures were necessary to promote the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the prevention of public nuisance.

The report pack outlined several options for the Panel's determination, including granting the licence as requested, granting it with modified conditions, excluding certain licensable activities, refusing to specify a premises supervisor, or rejecting the application entirely. The report emphasised that any decision must be based on evidence and be appropriate for 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 Panel was also reminded of its duty to consider the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010³.

The report pack included correspondence between Lincolnshire Police and the applicant's licensing agent, Paul Byatt, detailing the points of contention. Lincolnshire Police sought to impose conditions such as a 30-minute cessation of licensable activities before closure, and specific CCTV requirements, including a minimum of one high-resolution colour camera for external coverage and each public entrance/exit, with recordings to be kept for at least 31 days and available for immediate playback by police. They also requested an incident and refusals recording system and the implementation of a Challenge 25 proof of age policy. Mr Byatt, on behalf of the applicant, expressed reluctance to accept these conditions as mandatory, arguing that the premises had no history of negative impact and that some proposed conditions, such as the drink-up period, were a regression to older licensing systems and could create new offences.

The report also referenced the South Holland District Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2026-2031⁴, which highlights the importance of CCTV as a measure for reducing crime and disorder and the expectation that premises retailing alcohol will have an effective CCTV system compliant with Lincolnshire Police requirements. The policy also addresses the prevention of public nuisance, noting that hours of opening and any wind-down period are relevant considerations.