The Licensing Sub-Committee (4) of Westminster Council met on Thursday 23 May 2024 to consider two licensing applications. The committee granted a new premises licence for Tesco at 40 Edgware Road, W2 2EH, with amended hours and conditions. They also granted a variation to the premises licence for The Chandos Public House at 29 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ER, extending its operating hours and replacing existing conditions with new ones.

Tesco, 40 Edgware Road, W2 2EH

The committee granted a new premises licence for Tesco, located at 40 Edgware Road, W2 2EH, to operate as a supermarket. The application was initially met with objections from the Hyde Park Estate Association and Councillor Karen Scarborough, citing concerns related to public nuisance, crime and disorder, public safety, and the protection of children from harm, particularly due to the premises' location within the Edgware Road Special Consideration Zone (SCZ).

The Metropolitan Police Service and Environmental Health Service initially raised objections but withdrew them after agreeing on revised conditions with the applicant, Tesco Stores Limited. These conditions included measures such as comprehensive CCTV systems, staff training, age verification policies, restrictions on the sale of super-strength alcohol, and specific waste management protocols.

The Hyde Park Estate Association and Councillor Scarborough maintained their objections, requesting that the Sunday alcohol sales hours be reduced to align with Westminster Council's Core Hours Policy and that Late Night Refreshment be limited to a hot drinks vending machine.

After considering the evidence, the Sub-Committee decided to grant the licence with the following hours:

• Late Night Refreshment (Indoors): Monday to Sunday, 23:00 to 00:00.
• Sale by Retail of Alcohol (Off the Premises): Monday to Sunday, 08:00 to 23:00.
• Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 06:00 to 00:00.

The committee imposed a total of 27 conditions on the licence, including those agreed with the responsible authorities and additional conditions deemed appropriate to promote the licensing objectives. These conditions cover areas such as CCTV, staff training, age verification, alcohol sales restrictions, waste management, and a specific condition limiting Late Night Refreshment to the use of a hot drinks vending machine. The committee was satisfied that these measures would mitigate the concerns raised by objectors and promote the licensing objectives.

The Chandos Public House, 29 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ER

The Licensing Sub-Committee granted a variation to the premises licence for The Chandos Public House, located at 29 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ER. The application sought to extend the timings for Late Night Refreshment and Opening Hours until 00:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, extend the Retail Sale of Alcohol until 23:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, add non-standard timings for New Year's Eve, and replace all existing conditions with a new set of conditions.

The premises is situated within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) and operates as a traditional pub owned by Samuel Smith (Southern). The application was initially met with a representation from the Environmental Health Service, which was later withdrawn, and one from a local resident. The resident's concerns included the excessive nature of the New Year's Eve extension, the desire for Friday and Saturday opening hours to align with other public houses in the area, and a lack of detail regarding CCTV signage and GDPR compliance.

The applicant, Samuel Smith (Southern), argued that the requested extensions were modest and fell within the council's Core Hours Policy. They highlighted their unique business model, which focuses on traditional pubs without music or televisions, and stated that the extended hours would allow patrons to relax after theatre performances. The applicant also proposed replacing the existing licence conditions with a comprehensive set of 28 new conditions, including measures for CCTV, noise control, waste management, and age verification.

The Sub-Committee granted the variation, allowing for:

• Late Night Refreshment (Indoors and Outdoors): Extended to 00:00 hours on Friday and Saturday.
• Sale by Retail of Alcohol (On and Off the Premises): Extended to 23:30 hours on Friday and Saturday.
• Opening Hours: Extended to 00:00 hours on Friday and Saturday.
• Non-standard timings for all licensable activities, including opening hours, to extend for New Year's Eve.

All existing conditions on the premises licence were removed and replaced with the 28 new conditions proposed by the applicant. These conditions include requirements for CCTV, noise and vibration control, restrictions on taking drinks outside after 23:00, waste management, provision of food and non-intoxicating beverages, a Challenge 21 or 25 proof of age scheme, an incident log, and a dispersal policy. The committee concluded that these conditions were appropriate and proportionate to promote the licensing objectives and that the extended hours were within the core hours policy, posing minimal additional impact on the West End CIZ.