The Licensing Sub-Committee of Hillingdon Council met on Monday 10 August 2026 to consider an application to vary a premises licence for the London Empire Hotel Limited. The committee decided to grant the variation, imposing a number of conditions to address concerns raised by residents and ward councillors.

Variation of Premises Licence for London Empire Hotel Limited

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for the London Empire Hotel Limited, located at 233 High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1LD. The applicant sought to remove the licensable activity of film exhibition, reduce operating hours for live music, recorded music, dancing, indoor sporting events, and the sale of alcohol to between 11:00 and 02:00 daily, and late-night refreshment to between 23:00 and 02:00 daily. The application also proposed replacing all existing conditions with a new operating schedule.

The application attracted significant opposition. Ward Councillors Terence Murray, Riley Russell, and Anil Taneja submitted a representation highlighting concerns about the proposed 02:00 closing time and a maximum capacity of 450 people, contrasting with social media advertisements suggesting a capacity of up to 1000 people. They raised concerns about increased anti-social behaviour, noise disturbance from amplified music, vehicle movements, and the adequacy of the proposed security measures. The councillors also pointed to a history of alleged mismanagement at other venues operated by individuals associated with the applicant, citing instances of police intervention and expedited licence reviews due to serious crime and disorder.

Representations from interested parties, including Asmatullah Rahimi of Arian Quality Dry Cleaners, Serena Bester, Aimee Fullam, and Michael Hurst, echoed these concerns. They detailed issues such as traffic congestion, parking overspill into residential areas, noise pollution from amplified music and patrons, littering, vandalism, and anti-social behaviour. Aimee Fullam, a midwife and labour ward coordinator, highlighted the impact of late-night noise and disturbance on her ability to provide safe patient care. Michael Hurst argued that the proposed hours were excessive and would lead to chaos, making the premises unenforceable by the council and police.

The Planning Enforcement Team also submitted a representation detailing an ongoing investigation into the unlawful use of the premises as a banqueting suite, party venue, and wedding events space. They cited instances of significant harm to the highway, traffic gridlock, obstruction of footpaths, and noise nuisance, noting that a planning application for a change of use had been refused.

Despite these objections, the subcommittee decided to grant the variation. The decision was made after considering all written and verbal representations. The subcommittee determined that the conditions imposed on the licence were appropriate and proportionate to address the concerns raised, particularly those relating to the prevention of public nuisance.

The decision notice will be circulated to all parties within five working days. Any applicant or person who made representations has the right to appeal the council's decision to the Justice Clerk at Uxbridge Magistrates Court within 21 days of the decision notice. The licence may be reviewed and potentially revoked if conditions are not adhered to.

The full details of the conditions imposed are extensive and cover various aspects of the premises' operation, including:

• CCTV: Installation to Home Office guidance standards, with recordings kept for 31 days and made available to police and authorised officers. The system must be capable of clear facial recognition and head-and-shoulders images. A trained staff member must be available at all times the premises are open.
• Incident Log: To be maintained and made available for inspection, recording all crimes reported, ejections, complaints, incidents of disorder, CCTV faults, alcohol sale refusals, and visits by authorities.
• Staff Training: Documented training based on legislation and operating procedures, subject to annual review.
• Staffing: All staff to have UK right to work status checked. A minimum of 4 SIA trained door staff during operational hours, increasing to 8 for full capacity events.
• Event Management: Written event risk assessments or management plans for ticketed or high-risk events, to be provided to the licensing team and Metropolitan Police.
• Capacity: Maximum capacity of 450 persons, including staff.
• Noise Management: An event noise management plan to be implemented.
• Challenge 25 Policy: Strict enforcement with appropriate signage and acceptable forms of identification. A refusal book to be maintained.
• Access: Admission generally by pre-sold tickets, guest list, or private invitation.
• Ask Angela Scheme: Implementation of the scheme to support individuals at risk of harm, harassment, or distress, with staff training and visible signage.
• Emergency Exits: To remain closed except for the main entry door, with visible indicators when opened.
• Litter and Waste: Measures to prevent and remove litter and waste from the area immediately outside the premises.
• Dispersal Policy: Implementation of a dispersal policy with signage encouraging customers to leave quietly and respect neighbours.
• Alcohol Sales: Challenge 25 policy enforced, with specific acceptable forms of ID. A refusal book to be kept.
• Under 18s: Permitted only at specifically programmed age-appropriate events with adequate supervision and safeguarding.
• Fire Exits: Emergency exit doors to be fitted with visible indicators.
• Loading/Unloading: Prohibited between 12:00 am and 6:00 am.

The subcommittee noted that the proposed conditions were considered appropriate and proportionate to address the concerns relating to public nuisance. The applicant was advised that the licence could be reviewed and potentially revoked if conditions were not adhered to.