The Licensing (Premises) Sub-Committee of Buckinghamshire Council met on Thursday 17 September 2026 to consider an application to vary the premises licence for Premier Hedgerley. The committee granted the variation, allowing for extended alcohol sales hours, subject to existing and agreed conditions.

Variation of Premises Licence for Premier Hedgerley

The Buckinghamshire Council Licensing (Premises) Sub-Committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for Premier Hedgerley, located at 2 Hedgerley Hill, Hedgerley, Slough, SL2 3RP. The applicant, Manmeet Singh Khaneja, sought to extend the permitted hours for the sale of alcohol from 8am to 6am daily, and to align the premises' opening hours with these new alcohol sales times.

The application was called to a hearing due to a representation received from Councillor David Moore, the ward councillor for Farnhams & Stoke Poges. Councillor Moore, on behalf of local residents, objected to the proposed extension on the grounds that it could undermine the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm. The core concern was that increased alcohol availability in the early morning hours in a residential village setting could have a detrimental impact. Thames Valley Police raised no objection to the application.

During the hearing, Mr. Khaneja explained that the primary motivation for the extended hours was to manage the store more conveniently and to avoid potential errors by staff during the early morning period, particularly when serving customers who might have finished night shifts. He emphasised that he lives locally and is part of the community, and that any issues would affect him directly. He also stated that alcohol sales during these early hours were anticipated to be minimal and would typically be part of a larger grocery shop.

The Sub-Committee carefully considered the representations and the applicant's assurances. They noted that there was no history of complaints or licensing concerns associated with the premises under Mr. Khaneja's management. They also gave significant weight to the lack of objection from Thames Valley Police, who are considered experts on crime and disorder matters. The Sub-Committee was satisfied that the conditions offered in the operating schedule, including those relating to staff training, age verification (Challenge 25 policy), CCTV, and incident logging, provided appropriate and proportionate safeguards to promote the licensing objectives.

Ultimately, the Sub-Committee decided to grant the variation. They reasoned that shops should generally be free to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption during their opening hours, unless there are specific reasons based on the licensing objectives to restrict these hours. In this instance, they did not believe sufficient evidence had been presented to demonstrate that granting the variation, subject to the existing and proposed conditions, would undermine the licensing objectives. The decision was made with due regard to the Human Rights Act 1998, balancing the rights of the applicant with those of the community.

The variation allows Premier Hedgerley to sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm daily, with the premises also open to the public during these hours. The existing mandatory conditions and the conditions agreed within the operating schedule remain in place.