The Licensing Sub Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Thursday 11 April 2024 to consider an application for a variation of the premises licence for the Captain Kidd public house and to extend decision deadlines for several other applications. The committee partially granted the variation for the Captain Kidd, extending its alcohol sales hours on Fridays and Saturdays until 11:30 p.m. and on Sundays until 11:00 p.m., with a set of conditions to mitigate public nuisance.

Variation of Premises Licence for Captain Kidd

The committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for the Captain Kidd public house, located at 108 Wapping High Street, London E1W 2NA, to extend its alcohol sales hours. The applicant, Samuel Smith (Southern), sought to extend hours from 11:00 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 10:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sundays. Non-standard timings for New Year's Eve were also requested.

Representations were received from local residents, primarily concerned with the potential for increased noise disturbance and anti-social behaviour from patrons leaving the premises during the extended hours. Mr. Duncan McLaughlin, representing the residents, highlighted that while he frequented the pub and understood the nature of living near a licensed premises, the current dispersal of patrons after closing was inadequate, leading to noise and littering in the narrow street. He argued that an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights would significantly impact residents' quality of sleep.

Sarah Taylor, the legal representative for the applicant, presented the Captain Kidd as a traditional family-run pub that does not feature regulated entertainment such as music or sports screens. She explained that the extended hours were sought to help the business recover from the economic impact of the pandemic and the shift to working from home, which had reduced customer numbers. Ms. Taylor emphasised that the applicant had proposed a robust set of conditions, including a dispersal policy, CCTV, and a direct contact number for residents, to mitigate any potential issues. She noted the absence of objections from responsible authorities like the police and environmental health, suggesting this indicated no anticipated breaches of licensing objectives.

The committee acknowledged the concerns raised by residents regarding public nuisance, particularly the impact of patrons leaving the premises late at night. While they noted the applicant's proposed conditions, including a dispersal policy, they felt that these alone did not entirely mitigate the potential impact of the full hour extension requested on Fridays and Saturdays.

Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to grant the application in part. The sale of alcohol was permitted from 11:00 hrs to 23:30 hrs on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs on Sundays. The non-standard timings for New Year's Eve were also granted. This decision was made with the inclusion of 12 conditions, which included:

• Installation and maintenance of a comprehensive CCTV system.
• A staff member trained in CCTV operation to be present at all times the premises is open.
• An incident log to be kept and made available to authorities.
• Prominent notices requesting patrons to leave quietly.
• A direct telephone number for the manager to be available to residents.
• A written dispersal policy to be implemented.
• Supervision of patrons drinking and smoking outside the premises.
• Restrictions on the movement of waste and recycling materials between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• A Challenge 25 proof of age scheme.

Extension of Decision Deadlines

The committee also agreed to extend the decision deadlines for several licensing applications until 30 June 2024. These applications included:

• Lucia's Unit 5007, Queens Yard, 43 White Horse Lane
• Carwash, 1 Quaker Street, London E1 6SZ
• The Local Café, 84 St Stephen's Road, London E3 5JL
• Studio Spaces Ltd, 110 Pennington Street, London E1W 2BB
• Victoria Park Market, Night Walk, Approach Road / Gore Road, London E3 5TB
• Burgers LDN, 141 Leman Street, E1 8EY
• Sainsbury's, 409-413 Mile End Road, E3 4PB