The Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to convene to consider a licensing matter. Councillor Renata Hamvas, Chair of the Licensing Sub-Committee, Councillor Suzanne Abachor and Councillor Barrie Hargrove were the confirmed members of the committee. The main item for discussion was a review of a premises licence application for Delicias Colombianas, located at 720-722 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NG.

Licensing Act 2003: Delicias Colombianas, 720-722 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NG

The sub-committee was scheduled to review an application made by Sigifredo Ramirez to vary the premises licence for Delicias Colombianas, a Latin American restaurant and cocktail bar with a dancing space.

Currently, the premises licence allows the sale of alcohol and regulated entertainment until 00:00 Sunday to Thursday, and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The opening hours are until 00:30 Sunday to Thursday and 01:30 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sigifredo Ramirez applied to extend these hours, requesting:

• The sale of alcohol (on sales only) from 10:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Thursday, and 10:00 to 04:00 Friday and Saturday.
• The provision of late night refreshment (indoors) from 23:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Thursday, and 23:00 to 04:00 Friday and Saturday.
• The provision of regulated entertainment in the form of recorded plays, live music, recorded music and performances of dance, (indoors) from 10:00 to 01:00 Sunday to Thursday, and 10:00 to 04:00 Friday and Saturday.
• Opening hours from 10:00 to 01:30 Sunday to Thursday, and 10:00 to 04:30 Friday and Saturday.

Sigifredo Ramirez also requested to amend condition 307 to increase the maximum number of people permitted on the premises at any one time from 120 to 200, and to remove condition 4BA, which states:

4BA Spirits (alcohol within an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 15% of more) shall not be sold by the bottle at the premises. Spirits shall only be sold in standard measures or multiples thereof.

Several representations were made regarding the application.

The Metropolitan Police Service (Licensing Division) raised concerns about the additional hours, stating that they would effectively turn the premises into a nightclub. They also expressed concern that increasing the capacity and removing condition 4BA would fail to prevent uncontrolled excessive consumption of alcohol. PC Mark Lynch of the Southwark Licensing Team stated that the police would expect to see more robust control measures added to the licence to account for the additional operating hours and increase in alcohol consumption.

The council’s environmental protection team stated that the hours are excessive for the area and not in line with the Southwark statement of licensing policy, and that being a residential area, the extended hours would negatively impact surrounding residential properties. Raymond Binya, Principal Environmental Protection Officer, recommended additional conditions be added to the licence if the sub-committee were minded to grant the application, including the installation of a multiband sound limiting device¹.

The council’s licensing responsible authority also referred to the Southwark statement of licensing policy, pointing out that the hours are excessive for a residential area and that any extension of hours would have a negative impact on the locality. Wesley McArthur, Principal Enforcement Officer, also agreed with the police over concerns about removing condition 4BA.

Five representations were received from other persons, all local residents, who raised concerns regarding the extension of hours and the proximity of the premises to residential dwellings. They also expressed concern that existing antisocial behaviour in the area would likely be exacerbated by a late-night premises, negatively impacting existing and future residents of the extended Ledbury Estate. One resident stated that there had been a marked change in the conditions on the pavement outside the building since it changed from being a Vietnamese restaurant to Delicias Colombianas, citing broken bottles, empty beer bottles, discarded plastic cups, vomit and overfilled wheelie bins.

The report pack noted that the premises lies outside of a cumulative impact area² and a residential area.