The Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee of Newham Council met on Wednesday 22 July 2026. The primary item on the agenda was to consider an application to vary a premises licence for Food and Wine Costcutter, located at 169 High Street North, East Ham.

Food and Wine Costcutter, East Ham

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to hear and determine an application to vary the licence for Food and Wine Costcutter, located at 169 High Street North, East Ham, E6 1JB. The applicant, Rajah Sounthararajah, sought to extend the hours for the supply of alcohol and amend a condition regarding the minimum size of spirits bottles sold.

Specifically, the application proposed to extend the supply of alcohol hours from Monday to Sunday to 08:00 - 23:00, and to change the condition that spirits should not be sold in bottles of less than 35cl to a minimum of 20cl.

The report pack indicated that one resident had made representations against the application, citing concerns related to the licensing objectives of crime and disorder, prevention of public nuisance, protection of children from harm, and public safety.

The report also noted that the premises falls within a Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ)¹. This means that there is a rebuttable presumption that applications for new or varied licences would normally be refused unless the applicant can demonstrate no negative impact on licensing objectives. The report highlighted that the premises had a history of licence reviews, including one in June 2024 where further conditions were imposed due to evidence of selling high-strength alcohol and large quantities of small spirit bottles to street drinkers. The decision from that review is detailed in the Public reports pack.

The procedure for the meeting was outlined, including introductions, presentation of reports, and the opportunity for responsible authorities, interested parties, and the applicant to present their cases. The Sub-Committee would then deliberate and announce its decision.