The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barnet Council was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Shahs Halal Food. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the committee's hearing procedure.

Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing Procedure

The committee was scheduled to discuss the established procedure for licensing sub-committee hearings. This procedure, based on regulations made under the Licensing Act 2003, is designed to ensure natural justice and a fair hearing. The procedure outlines the roles of the Governance Officer and the Chair, the process for parties to present their cases, and how questions and discussions would be managed. It also details the steps for deliberation and the announcement of decisions, including options for making a determination at the end of the hearing or within five working days.

Shahs Halal Food Premises Licence Application

A significant item on the agenda was the consideration of a new premises licence application for Shahs Halal Food, located at 3 Watford Way, London NW4 3JL. The application, submitted by Zabih Yakrang on behalf of West Halal Food Ltd, sought permission for the provision of late-night refreshment indoors between 23:00 and 04:00, with the premises open to the public from 11:00 to 04:00 daily.

The report pack indicated that the Licensing Authority had received a representation against the application from Daniel Mullick, Senior Scientific Officer in the Public Protection Department, on the grounds of preventing public nuisance. Mr. Mullick's representation highlighted concerns about potential disturbance to residents living above the premises, particularly regarding noise from customer arrivals and departures, congregation outside, and third-party delivery services, especially during the proposed late-night hours. Scientific Services recommended refusing the application due to insufficient information to demonstrate that the licensing objective of preventing public nuisance would be promoted.

However, the report also detailed an agreement reached between the Metropolitan Police and the applicant. The Police, represented by PC Rachel Aldis, had proposed reducing the late-night refreshment hours to between 23:00 and 02:00, Monday to Sunday. The applicant, represented by Shakaib Aziz, agreed to these reduced hours and also agreed to a set of seven conditions. These conditions included the installation and maintenance of CCTV, the keeping of an incident log, and cooperation with police and council officers. The report indicated that the Police would not be making a representation if these agreed hours and conditions were incorporated into the licence.

The committee was to consider these representations, the agreement with the Police, and the applicant's proposed steps to promote 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 report outlined the potential steps the Sub-Committee could take, including granting the licence with modified conditions, excluding certain licensable activities, refusing to specify a premises supervisor, or rejecting the application entirely.