The Licensing Panel of Harrow Council met on Wednesday 18 September 2024 to consider a new premises licence application for Sainsbury's. The panel granted the application, subject to several conditions.

New Premises Licence for Sainsbury's

The Licensing Panel granted a new premises licence for Sainsbury's, located at Building G, Corner of Harrow View and Primary Street, Hargrave Drive, Harrow, HA1 4TY. The licence permits the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises between 07:00 and 23:00, seven days a week.

The decision was made subject to eleven conditions, including the operation of a CCTV system, the implementation of a Challenge 25 age verification policy, and the display of signage encouraging customers to leave quietly late at night.

During the hearing, the panel considered representations from a local resident who objected to the proposed 24-hour opening hours for the store. The resident expressed concerns about potential increases in noise, parking issues, crime, and general disturbance to the neighbourhood. However, the applicant's representative highlighted that no responsible authorities had objected to the licence, and that the objections related to opening hours, which were not a licensable activity in themselves. The applicant stated that the store's opening hours were likely to match the alcohol sales hours.

The panel noted that while the resident's concerns were about public nuisance, they did not object to Sainsbury's opening. The panel's decision to grant the licence with the specified conditions was based on promoting the licensing objectives. They took into account that no responsible authorities had raised objections regarding operating hours and that Sainsbury's had agreed to conditions to promote these objectives. The panel concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that granting the licence would lead to a disturbance to the neighbourhood.

The Licensing Act 2003¹ governs the process for granting premises licences, with the aim of promoting four key objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The panel carefully considered all relevant information, including written and oral representations, the Licensing Act 2003, statutory guidance, and Harrow Council's Licensing Policy.