The Kensington and Chelsea Licensing Sub-Committee convened to discuss a temporary event notice (TEN) application by Tamara Nicola Figueira Gouveia for 289 Westbourne Park Road, during the Notting Hill Carnival. The committee ultimately issued a counter notice, effectively denying the application, citing concerns over crime prevention, public nuisance, and public safety.

Temporary Event Notice: 289 Westbourne Park Road

The sub-committee considered a temporary event notice application from Tamara Nicola Figueira Gouveia, a resident of 289 Westbourne Park Road, seeking permission to sell alcohol and provide regulated entertainment from the doorstep of her property during the Notting Hill Carnival on 24 and 25 August 2025.

Paul Phelan from the council's licensing team, outlined the application, noting objections from the Metropolitan Police and the council's Environmental Health Noise and Nuisance team. He confirmed that Ms Gouveia had been granted a TEN for the same location during the previous year's carnival, which had not attracted any objections.

Ms Gouveia addressed the committee, stating that she had reviewed the objections and wished to clarify a number of points. She stated that she did not believe that Westbourne Park Road was a bottleneck, and that her residence was a reasonable distance from sound systems and the main parade route. She also stated that she would employ two Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensed officers to manage queues and ensure safety, and that no glass bottles would be served. She also clarified that the entertainment would be provided by a small portable speaker for the benefit of the workers, not for the public.

Objections

PC Janelle Caldinez of the Metropolitan Police, supported by her counsel Horain Henry, objected to the TEN on the grounds of crime prevention and public safety. Mr Henry stated that both the freeholder and leaseholder of the property had contacted the police to say that they did not consent to the event taking place. He also raised concerns about potential bottlenecks due to queuing customers, the lack of a risk assessment or event management plan, and the suitability of the proposed speaker for regulated entertainment.

Matt McIlroy from the council's noise and nuisance team, also objected to the TEN, citing concerns about public safety and the prevention of public nuisance. He raised concerns about customer queuing on the pavement, the lack of a risk assessment or event management plan, and the potential for noise nuisance from the regulated entertainment.

Committee Decision

The committee decided to issue a counter notice under Section 105 of the Licensing Act 2003, meaning that permission for the licensable activities requested in the TEN was not approved. The committee stated that allowing the TEN would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance and public safety licensing objectives.

Cllr Marie-Therese Rossi, Chair of the Licensing Committee, stated that the decision was made after taking into account all the individual circumstances of the case.

Ms Gouveia has the right to appeal this decision at the magistrate's court within 21 days.

Pavement Sales and Street Trading Licence

During the meeting, there was discussion about whether Ms Gouveia's proposed activities would constitute street trading, which would require a separate street trading licence. Lindsay LeMissurier, the council's legal officer, clarified that selling alcohol from the premises onto the pavement would require a street trading licence under the London Local Authorities Act. She also stated that the council is not issuing street trading licences to private traders this year.

Late Evidence

The committee addressed the matter of late evidence submitted by both the police and Ms Gouveia. Cllr Marie-Therese Rossi stated that the committee had decided not to accept the late evidence as it did not allow sufficient time for review and understanding.

We have decided that it has come too late. We cannot, we are not accepting it as evidence. We have the right to turn it down. So, it's just background information and we are just carrying on with the hearing as before that late evidence was sent. And I think in future, the answer is, you know, we need to have time to read and understand these things and not to leave it to the very last minute.

Licensing Policy

The report pack included extracts from the council's statement of licensing policy, which outlines the four licensing objectives that the council must consider when making decisions on licensing applications:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

The policy also includes specific guidance on temporary event notices, particularly in relation to the Notting Hill Carnival. It states that applicants should demonstrate how their proposed activity would support the licensing objectives and not have an adverse impact on emergency services. The policy also encourages applicants to discuss their plans with the police and the council's events team prior to submitting their application.