The Licensing Sub-Committee of Southwark Council met on Tuesday 29 April 2025 to consider a single item of business: an application for a premises licence for Afrikiko, located at 871 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NX. The meeting agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies, confirmation of voting members, notification of urgent items, and the disclosure of interests.

Licensing Act 2003: Afrikiko, 871 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NX

The primary focus of the meeting was the consideration of an application for a premises licence for Afrikiko, located at 871 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NX. The application, submitted by Afrikiko Restaurant & Night Club Limited, was made under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003¹.

The report pack indicated that the application was for a premises licence covering the basement and ground floor of the property. The applicant sought to operate with the following hours:

• Sale of alcohol (on sales only): Monday to Wednesday from 13:00 to 00:00; Thursday from 13:00 to 02:00; Friday to Sunday from 13:00 to 04:30.
• Late night refreshment (indoors): Thursday from 23:00 to 02:00; Friday to Sunday from 23:00 to 04:30.
• Regulated entertainment (live music, indoors): Monday to Wednesday from 13:00 to 00:00; Thursday from 22:00 to 02:00; Friday to Sunday from 22:00 to 04:30.
• Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday from 13:00 to 00:00; Thursday from 13:00 to 02:00; Friday to Sunday from 13:00 to 04:30.

The premises were described in the application as offering Western cuisines and drinks, live music and entertainment, with a downstairs area used as a nightclub and available for hire. The proposed designated premises supervisor was Daniel Dorner.

The report pack detailed that the application had received representations from three responsible authorities: the Metropolitan Police Service, the environmental protection team, and the health and safety team.

The Metropolitan Police Service raised concerns regarding the premises' history, noting two previous summary reviews. They highlighted issues with late-night operations and the potential impact of a nightclub in a residential area.

The environmental protection team stated that the application failed to demonstrate how the premises would meet the prevention of public nuisance licensing objective with the proposed hours, and that the requested hours significantly exceeded those recommended in the Southwark Statement of Licensing Policy².

The health and safety representation noted a history of safety issues, including a Prohibition Notice served by the London Fire Brigade in summer 2023 and Improvement Notices served more recently.

The report pack also outlined the premises' history, including previous licence reviews, suspensions, and revocations. It detailed the application process under the Licensing Act 2003, the four licensing objectives³ that must be promoted, and the council's Statement of Licensing Policy. The premises' location within a residential area, outside of a cumulative impact area, was noted, with the recommended closing time for similar establishments in the area being 23:00. The report also mentioned that nightclubs are not considered appropriate for this specific area according to the council's policy.

The report pack included appendices containing the full application, representations from responsible authorities, previous decisions regarding the premises, and a map of the locality.