The Licensing Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Thursday 13 August 2026 to consider two applications for premises licences. The meeting agenda included the appointment of a chair, apologies for absence, and the disclosure of interests. The primary focus of the meeting was the determination of applications for premises licences at 35 Portland Road, South Norwood, and 358 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon.

Application for Premises Licence at 35 Portland Road, South Norwood

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence for 35 Portland Road, South Norwood, SE25 4UF, operated by Norwood Fast Food Ltd trading as Metro's. The application sought permission for the provision of late-night refreshment between 23:00 and 02:00 hours daily.

The report pack indicated that representations had been received regarding this application, necessitating a hearing. The Metropolitan Police Service had initially raised concerns about the potential impact on crime and disorder, particularly in relation to the extended hours and the premises' location within a Cumulative Impact Area¹. Discussions between the applicant, Mr. Dinushan Varatharasa, and the Metropolitan Police, including Licensing Sergeant Peter Wright, led to the proposal of specific conditions. These included a comprehensive CCTV system, an incident log, clear signage, and measures to manage delivery agents. Crucially, an agreement was reached whereby the Metropolitan Police would withdraw their objection if the licence included a condition allowing them to impose an online-only policy after midnight should complaints of anti-social behaviour or crime linked to the business arise. The applicant agreed to these conditions, and the Metropolitan Police indicated they would withdraw their objection.

Application for Premises Licence at 358 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon

The Sub-Committee was also scheduled to consider an application for a premises licence at 358 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon, CR0 7AF, for a convenience store named Ryan's Local, operated by Ms. Rosani Rajaratnam. The application sought permission for the retail sale of alcohol with proposed hours of Sunday to Thursday from 08:00 to 23:30, and Friday to Saturday from 08:00 to 00:00 (midnight).

Representations had been received from local residents, including Councillor Carlo Burtansking, who objected to the proposed hours. The objectors argued that the premises' location in a residential area with flats above would lead to disturbance and attract anti-social behaviour if the extended hours were granted. They referred to the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy², specifically sections concerning cumulative impact and prevention of public nuisance, to support their argument for restricted hours. The applicant had amended their requested hours following discussions with the Police Licensing Officer.