The Licensing Sub-Committee (3) of Westminster Council scheduled a meeting to take place on 16 April 2025, to discuss licensing applications. Councillor Robert Eagleton, Deputy Cabinet Member - Finance and Fairer Working, Councillor Iman Less, Deputy Cabinet Member - Public and Mental Health and Night Time Champion, and Councillor Ed Pitt Ford were scheduled to be in attendance. The agenda for the meeting indicates that the sub-committee was scheduled to consider three licensing applications.

Royal Society of Arts, 8 John Adam Street, WC2N 6EZ

A variation to the premises licence for the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) was scheduled to be discussed.

The RSA, located at 8 John Adam Street, is a Grade I listed building¹ which hosts events, exhibitions, talks, and offers spaces for hire.

The applicant proposed to vary several conditions of the existing licence, including:

• Varying condition 10c to allow members of the public to attend the RSA Coffee House or the Muse bar between the hours stated in Part 1 - Sale by Retail of Alcohol, from 08:00 to 00:00 Monday to Saturday and 08:00 to 23:30 Sundays.
• Varying condition 11 to allow regulated entertainment in the form of live music to be restricted to planned music events, wedding ceremonies and celebrations, private parties, and background music, and performed by up to 12 musicians.
• Varying condition 12 to allow regulated entertainment in the form of recorded music to be restricted to music events, wedding ceremonies and celebrations, private parties, and background music.
• Varying condition 13 to allow facilities for dancing using amplified music to be held in the following rooms: The Great Room, Prince Philip Room, Queen Elizabeth II Room, Tavern Room, Benjamin Franklin Room, and Basement Level -3.
• Removing condition 14, which states that all events shall be private and by invitation only.
• Removing condition 15, which states that a guest list shall be provided in advance and all visitors shall be registered on arrival.
• Removing condition 16, which states that the licence shall not permit external advertising of events taking place at the premises.
• Varying condition 17 to allow provision of licensable activities only to persons attending a pre-booked or ticketed event except in the RSA Coffee House and the Muse bar, and other such facilities of the RSA as approved by the RSA, and may additionally be used by persons who are fellows, officers or staff of the RSA for consumption by themselves or their guests and members of the public between the opening times of the premises.
• Varying condition 18 to state that food and non-intoxicating beverages, including drinking water, shall be available throughout the permitted hours in all parts of the premises where alcohol is sold or supplied for consumption on the premises.
• Varying condition 19 to change the maximum number of persons accommodated at the premises at any one time (excluding staff) in certain areas.
• Varying condition 22 to allow dancing and facilities for dancing to be restricted to the Great Room, Queen Elizabeth II Room, Prince Philip Room (level 1); Tavern Room, Benjamin Franklin Room (Ground); and the Vaults (basement level -3).
• Varying condition 23 to allow there to be no striptease or nudity, and all persons to be decently attired at all times, except when the premises are operating under the authority of a Sexual Entertainment Venue licence, or if for a booked and ticketed art class.
• Varying condition 24 to state that all entrance doors shall be kept closed, when regulated entertainment is taking place and in any event after 23:00 hours, except for the immediate access and egress of persons.
• Varying condition 33 to state that the entrance at Durham House Street shall be closed at 00:00, except for emergency egress, and after that time all guests shall leave by either No 8 or No 6 John Adam Street, or 18 Adam Street doors.
• Varying condition 34 to state that an experienced member of staff shall be employed to direct guests to The Strand from the Durham House Street exit and the John Adams Street exit for all events taking place on the weekend.
• Varying condition 49 to state that all windows and external doors shall be kept closed after 00:00 hours, or at any time when regulated entertainment takes place, except for the immediate access and egress of persons.

43-45 Porchester Road, W2 5DP

A new premises licence was requested for 43-45 Porchester Road.

According to a response from the applicant, Maman Bahar Ltd, the premises will be operating as Galleria Restaurant, a Persian restaurant.

The applicant stated that they agreed to model conditions proposed by the South East Bayswater Residents’ Association (SEBRA), including:

• The model restaurant condition
• Conditions regarding CCTV, noise, and odour control
• Restrictions on delivery and refuse collection hours
• Clear signage requesting customers to leave quietly
• A policy on smoking outside
• Restrictions on drinks being taken outside, unless served by waiting staff to seated diners

Conditions proposed by the Metropolitan Police Service, and agreed to by the applicant, included:

• Installation and maintenance of a comprehensive CCTV system.
• A staff member conversant with the CCTV system to be on the premises at all times when the premises is open.
• The premises shall only operate as a restaurant, with waiter service only, providing substantial table meals, with no takeaway service, and where alcohol shall not be sold or supplied, otherwise than for consumption by persons who are seated in the premises and bona fide taking substantial table meals there, and provided always that the consumption of alcohol by such persons is ancillary to taking such meals.
• Substantial food and non-intoxicating beverages, including drinking water, shall be available in all parts of the premises where alcohol is sold or supplied for consumption on the premises.
• A Challenge 21 or Challenge 25 proof of age scheme shall be operated at the premises.
• A record shall be kept detailing all refused sales of alcohol.
• An incident log shall be kept at the premises.
• Patrons permitted to temporarily leave and then re-enter the premises shall not be permitted to take glass containers with them.
• In the event that a serious assault is committed on the premises, the management will immediately ensure that the police are called, measures are taken to apprehend any suspects, the crime scene is preserved, and such other measures are taken to fully protect the safety of all persons present on the premises.

Orrery, First Floor, 55 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HS

A variation to the premises licence for Orrery, First Floor, 55 Marylebone High Street was scheduled to be discussed.

The applicant sought to make the following changes to the existing licence:

• To amend condition 9 to refer to hatching rather than a coloured area, and to submit a new plan with hatching to ensure the licence holder can easily identify the area where customers can only consume alcohol as ancillary to their meal.
• To amend condition 11 (capacity condition) to reflect the current capacity of the operation of the premises, referencing the Fire Risk Assessment, and proposing a maximum of 166 persons (excluding staff).
• To remove condition 13, which states that no person under fourteen shall be in the bar of the licensed premises during the permitted hours unless certain conditions are met.
• To replace condition 12, relating to permitted hours, with a condition stating that alcohol shall not be sold, supplied, consumed in or taken from the premises except during permitted hours, and defining permitted hours.

A fire risk assessment report, undertaken by Force Fire Consultancy Ltd, was included in the report pack. The report details various aspects of fire safety, including:

• Identification of hazards
• Assessment of those at risk
• Evaluation of the risk
• Methods of control
• Further controls that are necessary

The report also includes relevant articles of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005², and definitions of responsible person and relevant person.