The Licensing Committee met on Tuesday 29 April 2025 to review licensing activities and enforcement updates for the 2024-25 financial year, and to discuss the proposed Statement of Licensing Policy 2025. The committee noted the licensing update information and commended the report.

Licensing Hearing and Enforcement Update

The committee received an update on licensing activities and enforcement for the 2024-25 financial year. Joe Blanchard, Head of Environmental Health & Trading Standards, presented the report, which summarised decisions made by the Licensing Sub-Committee and detailed enforcement and compliance activities.

The report highlighted that the Licensing Act 2003 governs the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment, and late-night refreshment. In the 2024-25 period, 227 service requests related to these areas were investigated, 10 applications for a review of a premises licence were made, and 37 licensing sub-committee hearings were attended. The enforcement team conducted numerous compliance visits, with a focus on off sales trade, inspecting 127 such venues as part of a public health project on problematic alcohol.

Enforcement activities also covered other licensing regimes, including massage and special treatment (MST) premises, explosives and fireworks, and shisha establishments. Under the London Local Authorities Act 1991, premises offering massage or special treatments require a licence, with 68 venues having paid their annual fee by April 10, 2025, and a further 44 undergoing inspection. The report noted that approximately 80 MST venues had yet to engage, and warning letters were being issued.

Regarding explosives and fireworks, the Licensing team has revised its licensing process and strengthened cooperation with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the Metropolitan Police, and the London Fire Brigade. This has led to pre- and post-licence grant inspections, resulting in a substantial reduction in the quantities premises are licensed to supply. A proactive operation in Southall in March 2025 saw all 31 licensed venues inspected following incidents of illicit pyrotechnics.

The report also detailed ongoing work with shisha premises, with two currently subject to enforcement and six others being pursued for breaches of smoke-free legislation.

Statement of Licensing Policy 2025 Adoption

A significant part of the meeting focused on the proposed Statement of Licensing Policy 2025. Following a statutory consultation on the first draft, which concluded on 17 January 2025, the committee was informed that no significant changes were warranted. The policy will be presented to full council on 10 June 2025 for adoption on 27 July 2025.

The new policy introduces changes to how the council approaches licensing, building on the current 2020 policy. The Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) led to revisions in the boundaries of Special Policy Areas (SPAs), including changes to Acton, Greenford, and Southall SPAs, and the joining and expansion of the Hanwell and Ealing SPAs. The core hours for the supply of alcohol and late-night refreshment remain the same as previously established.

The policy will also incorporate new model licence conditions, providing a mechanism for the council to update them in response to emerging trends and advice. These conditions aim to offer applicants clear guidance on promoting the licensing objectives. The report also mentioned ongoing work with the police to train premises licence holders in adopting the ‘Ask Angela’ scheme, a safety initiative for women, and to explore provisions for premises to become 'safe spaces'.

The committee had previously approved the draft report concerning the licensing policy renewal in a meeting on 4 February 2025. At that meeting, Joe Blanchard clarified that the ‘Ask Angela’ and anti-spiking conditions would be integrated into management conditions, streamlining the process for Licensing Sub-Committee hearings. He also addressed concerns that some members of the public had misunderstood aspects of the policy, such as core hours, believing them to be blanket restrictions. The new policy includes a dedicated section for applicants and will be supported by refreshed web pages and staff training to improve user-friendliness. The extension of special policy areas was based on data related to the density of alcohol licences, crime levels, ambulance visits, and rough sleeping.