The Licensing Sub-Committee meeting was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for Bishops Local, located at 156 Munster Road, London, SW6 5RA. The meeting agenda included supplementary information from local residents and a report pack detailing the application and relevant policies.

Application for a Premises Licence at Bishops Local, 156 Munster Road

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the application for a new premises licence for Bishops Local, located at 156 Munster Road, London, SW6 5RA. The applicant, Hardip Singh Dang, represented by Manpreet Singh Kapoor of Personal Licence Courses UK, sought permission to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises.

The initial application requested permission for the sale of alcohol from Monday to Sunday, between 08:00 and 23:00, with proposed opening hours mirroring these times. However, following representations from local residents and consultation with Trading Standards, the applicant agreed to amend these hours. The proposed revised hours for the sale of alcohol were Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 23:00, and Sunday, 09:00 to 22:00.

In addition to the revised hours, several conditions were proposed to be attached to the licence if granted. These included:

• Deliveries and collections, including refuse and recycling, to be arranged only between 08:00 and 20:00.
• A rubbish bin to be provided outside the premises for customer use.
• Staff to clean the area around the premises before opening and after closing.
• Signs to be displayed at exits requesting patrons to dispose of their waste in litter bins.
• At least one member of staff on duty to be trained in the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003, including licensing objectives and offences.
• All staff responsible for selling alcohol to receive relevant training before unsupervised sales, covering licensing objectives, premises licence conditions, and the sale of age-restricted products. This training was to be refreshed at least every six months.
• Age-restricted product training to include assessment of age, challenging for proof of age, acceptable forms of identification, and recording refusals.
• Written training records for each staff member to be kept and made available to the police and authorised council officers.

The report pack also outlined the policy considerations relevant to the application, drawing from the council's Statement of Licensing Policy (SLP). These policies emphasise the promotion of 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 SLP highlights the importance of operating schedules being precise, enforceable, and proportionate, and that conditions should not duplicate other statutory provisions unless exceptionally justified.

The application also detailed the applicant's proposed steps to promote the licensing objectives. These included the implementation of a Challenge 25 policy, the installation of a CCTV system with 31 days of recording, and comprehensive staff training in responsible alcohol retailing. Specific measures for the prevention of crime and disorder included maintaining an incident logbook, purchasing alcohol only from AWRS registered wholesalers, and not displaying or selling strong beer, lager, cider, or stout above 5.5% ABV. Public safety measures included displaying fire exit signs and maintaining the CCTV system. To prevent public nuisance, notices would be displayed asking customers to leave quietly, and staff would be instructed not to serve alcohol to intoxicated individuals. For the protection of children from harm, the Challenge 25 policy was to be strictly enforced, with acceptable forms of identification being passports, photocard driving licences, or PASS-accredited proof of age cards.

The application received ten representations objecting to the licence, including one from the Felden and Swift Street Neighbourhood Watch and nine from individual local residents. Concerns raised by residents included the proximity of the premises to a primary school, the potential for increased anti-social behaviour and crime, issues with rubbish and fly-tipping, and the applicant's alleged disregard for previous regulations. Some objectors also questioned the applicant's claim that the premises would not operate 24/7, citing instances of the shop being open late at night. The report noted that none of the representations had been withdrawn following the proposed amendments by the applicant.

The report also mentioned that there had been no enforcement history for this specific premises in the last three years, and no Temporary Event Notices (TENs) had been submitted in the past twelve months. The report indicated that the committee would need to determine whether the applicant's proposed measures and amendments reasonably and suitably mitigated the outstanding concerns raised by objectors.