The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Tuesday 27 May 2025 and refused an application to vary a premises licence for Westbury News. The application sought to extend the sale of alcohol, but was refused due to concerns about public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder.

Westbury News Premises Licence Variation Application

The Sub-Committee considered an application by Baran Koc to vary the premises licence for Westbury News, located at 180-182 Ripple Road, Barking IG11 7PR. The applicant sought to extend the sale of alcohol from Monday to Sunday, from 08:00 am to 01:00 am. The current licence permits alcohol sales from 08:00 am to 11:00 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and from 08:00 am to 00:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) lodged one representation against the variation, citing concerns related to the licensing objectives of Public Safety, Prevention of Crime and Disorder, and Prevention of Public Nuisance. PC Owen Dunn, the Metropolitan Police Licensing Officer, explained that while an agreement had been reached on most conditions, a dispute remained over the prohibition of selling beers, perries, or ciders with an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of 6.5% and over.

PC Dunn highlighted that a previous application in September 2024, seeking similar extended hours, was withdrawn by the applicant due to the same proposed condition. He referenced a reduce the strength campaign launched in January 2022 by the MPS and the Local Authority, aimed at reducing street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Barking Town Centre. This campaign encouraged licensed venues to voluntarily remove high-strength beers and ciders from their shelves. Westbury News had declined to participate in this campaign at the time. Furthermore, a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is in place for Barking Town Centre, and the MPS argued that the continued sale of high-strength alcohol at Westbury News, given its proximity to the town centre, contradicted the purpose of this order.

During a visit to the premises on 21 May 2025, the applicant stated that their customers had not caused issues related to the purchase of high-strength alcohol. However, PC Dunn countered that it was difficult to prove this, as street drinkers often moved away from the premises to consume alcohol and engage in anti-social behaviour. The visit also identified four breaches of the current premises licence.

The MPS noted that a local competitor had agreed to the same conditions, including the restriction on high-strength alcohol sales, to achieve extended hours. PC Dunn expressed the view that there was no community benefit in selling high-strength beers and that the applicant's refusal to accept the condition was primarily for financial gain. He also referred to the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2022-2027¹, which encourages controls such as prohibiting the sale of beers, perries, or ciders over 6.5% ABV for premises located within 400 metres of schools. The MPS confirmed that Westbury News falls within this radius of several schools.

The applicant, Baran Koc, presented a petition signed by regular customers requesting extended operating hours, including the sale of alcohol. They confirmed that the signatories were aware of the application to sell alcohol until 1:00 am. The applicant acknowledged that the ABV restriction applied only to beers, ciders, and perries, not wines and spirits, and argued that some customers preferred stronger ABV options, particularly for beer.

In summing up, the MPS reiterated their dissatisfaction with the applicant's reasoning for not complying with the Council's Licensing Policy regarding high-strength alcohol. They also pointed out that the petition did not mention licensable activities. The applicant argued that nearby schools would not be impacted as sales would cease at 1:00 am.

The Sub-Committee, after considering all representations, decided not to place any weight on the petition as it did not refer to licensable activities. They expressed particular concern that the applicant was unwilling to accept the condition proposed by the Metropolitan Police to prohibit the sale of high-strength beers, ciders, and perries, which aims to discourage street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Barking Town Centre. Consequently, the Sub-Committee was not satisfied that the requested variation would uphold the four licensing objectives: the Prevention of Crime and Disorder, Public Safety, Public Nuisance, and the Protection of Children from Harm. Therefore, the application for a variation to the Premises Licence was REFUSED.